The Unholy Trinity: Reckoning
by MadameCissy
Summary: Picking up the pieces after everything around her has fallen apart is the hardest challenge she could ever face. But how does she restore the fragments of her heart in a world still covered in scars? What is true love, what is power? How do you find out who you are if you cant find yourself? Bellatrix/Hermione. Hermione/Andromeda. Part 3 in the trilogy.
1. The Stranger In Your Eyes

**Summary: **Picking up the pieces after everything around her has fallen apart is the hardest challenge she could ever face. But how does she restore the fragments of her heart in a world still covered in scars? What is true love, what is power? How does she start over when she never really moved on?

**Pairing:** Hermione/Andromeda & Hermione/Bellatrix.

**Rating:** T but will without doubt go up to M.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter universe. This belongs to the ever fabulous JK Rowling.

**Author's note:** So here it is, the third instalment of the Trinity saga. I felt like I had written myself into a little bit of a trap, having killed just about every character from the original series and leaving very few to work with. I went back to the beginning and rewatched Deathly Hallows just to get some of the magical feelings back. This was the result. I have got some ideas for this story, all of which surrounds the pieces falling back in places and answers being found and given. Like with most of my other stories, I am just going to see where this goes over time. I hope to gain your attention as I have done in the past and I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as you did the previous two.

**Note:** This is the sequel to "Serpent Spell" and "Nemesis." Reading those two stories is a must if you want to understand this one.

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**The Stranger In Your Eyes**

_My heart is hurting beyond words__  
The pain is tearing up my soul__  
These days have seen my spirit die__  
My life propelled out of control__  
My wounds lie naked to the world__  
My depth of suffering exposed__  
This damaged past can never heal__  
Until this nightmare book is closed__  
Xena: Warrior Princess – Hearts are Hurting part 1_

It was startling to realise how much a world, and a life, could change in a year. As she looked out of the window of her London home, she no longer saw the world for what it had once been. The smouldering ruins had been replaced by new structures. The unsightly castle at the banks of the river Thames had been destroyed. The building that had once stood in its place, so characteristic of the London skyline, was in the process of being rebuilt. She had never thought she'd see the day where the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben were reborn from their ashes but that time was here. The world was moving on and the memory of the war was all but an ugly scar across their souls.

The war was never far from her mind. Whenever she closed her eyes at night she still saw the faces of those she had lost. She carried her guilt with her, every single day. Those who had survived had tried to tell her that the responsibility wasn't solely hers but she did not agree. Andromeda felt like most of those who had lost their lives, had lost it because of her devotion and determination. It was a debt she knew she could never repay.

She visited Hermione once a week but as the months began to pass she lost all hope that the Healers would tell her anything different. She was trapped inside her mind, trapped inside the world that she had once lived in and the one that had fallen apart, and no one knew if she would ever be able to escape. She whispered words no one understood and rocked herself for hours in the darkest corner of her cell. The scars across her arms told a silent story of her suffering.

Andromeda overlooked the graves of her friends every month. She changed the flowers and cleaned the gravestones. She spoke words of kindness and of hope, and continued to hope that one day she would earn their forgiveness. Although life around her had fallen back into a comfortable routine, one where it seemed like nothing had ever happened, she couldn't adjust to the normality of life. There was none. Her life was not normal. She couldn't be like all those others. She couldn't pick up the pieces and carry on. There was nothing left to build from the ashes of her life.

The Ministry had stopped looking for Bellatrix's body after she had paid a visit to Minister of Magic Lingwood. The world now believed she was lost in battle, believed dead. No one shed a tear. The deaths of Bellatrix Lestrange and Narcissa Malfoy were celebrated. The destruction of the Cores had brought peace into the world and people no longer feared to look up into the eyes of their friends. Only a handful had been cleared of all charges after proving they had been placed under the Imperius Curse but most of the Cores' loyal servants were imprisoned in Azkaban and Falcon Island. Those who had been set free hid their scars beneath their sleeves in an attempt to forget what they had done, what they had once been.

It was an early morning in May. The sun had risen from behind the horizon and warmed the world with its tender rays. Andromeda had slipped out of bed fifteen minutes earlier and took a quick shower. By the time she got downstairs she found Tonks standing in the kitchen, a cup of tea in hand. Since the end of the war she had been promoted to the Head of the Auror department. She oversaw the searches and arrests of suspected dark witches and wizards. Whenever Andromeda looked at her daughter she was confronted by the lie she lived every single day. Tonks believed Bellatrix to be dead. Andromeda knew there was a chance her sister was alive.

"Hey, you want tea?" Tonks asked as she handed her mother a mug. Andromeda took it and sipped from the liquid. "I heard you saw Molly yesterday."

"Who told you?" Andromeda asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Katie happened to see you two in the Atrium."

"Oh."

Her meeting with Molly Weasley had been by chance. They were by no means friends. It wasn't that Molly didn't want to. It was because Andromeda couldn't forgive herself for all the loss Molly had suffered. Yesterday their paths had crossed by chance and she'd been awake all night thinking about it. Molly had thanked her for ending the war, for bringing back whatever little was left of her life. Andromeda couldn't face the hope and the joy in her eyes.

"You should talk to her, mum. She really wants to," Tonks suggested. "She doesn't understand why you keep beating yourself up over all of this and frankly, neither do I." She put her mug down and placed her hands on her hips. "People die in a war, mum. You couldn't save all of them."

"I should have tried," Andromeda rejected her daughter's kindness and averted her gaze. "I should have given up sooner and then at least some of them would still be alive."

"And we wouldn't be standing here watching the sun come up."

Andromeda felt a shiver creep down her spine. "That depends on how you look at it."

Tonks heaved a sigh. "I know you feel responsible for what happened to Hermione but her madness isn't your fault. It was the wand that did this to her. The hatred that it fed into her mind and into her heart for all this time is what broke her. She couldn't cope with the pressure of loving you, of being literally torn apart by the feelings that dwelled inside of her. She couldn't live with the heart that belonged to Bellatrix and Narcissa and a soul that belonged to you."

Andromeda looked up. Her eyes glistened with tears. "And now she has neither. For all its worth, she might as well be dead."

"Don't say that."

"It's true, though, isn't it? What life does she have inside St Mungo's? She's trapped inside her own madness and she may never get out!"

Andromeda left her tea mug on the kitchen counter and walked out of the kitchen, leaving her daughter behind. Tonks watched her mother leave for a moment before rushing after her and catching up with her by the front door. She grabbed her arm and forced her to turn around. When their gazes locked, Tonks saw for the first time the amount of pain her mother hid beneath her mask. Her eyes reflected all of it. All the sorrow she didn't want her only child to see.

"I couldn't give up on her then and I can't give up on her now. It's been a year and the world has changed but this…" She covered her heart with her hand. "This hasn't changed, Nymphadora. My soul still aches every day, like it did during the war. It still cries and screams, longing to feel its other half but I know I may never be able to feel that way again. And no one carries that blame but me."

"And Bellatrix."

"Leave her out of this."

"How can you still defend her after everything she did to you, to us?"

"She is my sister!" Andromeda cried out and pulled her arm free from her daughters grip. "She made mistakes but she was a victim too, Nymphadora. That wand poisoned her from the moment she first touched it. The same with Narcissa. They were prisoners to their own magic and to each other." She swallowed. "What caused Bellatrix to snap is what I did to her. Because I broke her heart she decided to break mine. She'll never know exactly how much she succeeded."

Tonks' eyes narrowed as she studied her mother's face. There were times she looked at her and she'd see that distant look. She knew Andromeda thought about Bellatrix more often than she would ever admit. What happened between them was something she'd never speak about again but the memories were endless. It was what had brought them here. The cycle of love, hatred and betrayal had brought them into this strange, new world.

"You have got to move on," Tonks said softly. "Mum, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

Andromeda didn't answer. Instead she reached for the doorknob and stepped outside into the sunshine. She turned back to look at her daughter one last time before closing the door behind her. She didn't wait for Tonks to catch up with her again and started walking. By the time she was halfway across the street she turned around and saw her daughter standing in the open doorway, watching her walk away. Andromeda turned back and increased her pace. There was only one place she wanted to be this morning and she could find it with her eyes closed.

~()~

The forests stretched out as far as the eye could see. No city folk ever came here. In fact, most people living in the city didn't even know that a few miles outside the borders there was stunning piece of untouched nature. The leaves were a luscious shade of green and a little stream found its way along roots and rocks, cutting itself a way through the soil. The golden sunlight reflected off the surface and somewhere a deer emerged from behind the trees before approaching the stream and drinking from the refreshing water.

This was a world inside a world. Deep in these woods a small village was hidden from Muggle eyes. Protective wards kept those who lived here safe. An ancient way of living was preserved solely by the safety of magic. Those who were born here never left. Those who looked for it never found it. There were legends about this village but no scientist had ever managed to locate it. Only those born into magical blood could break through the protective wards.

Her eyes snapped open as she woke from yet another tormenting dream and she sat up with a jolt. Dark strands of hair fell into her eyes and beads of sweat glistened on her forehead. The cotton of her dress clung to her skin and she ran her hands along her frame. The fabric was drenched. She heaved a sigh and swung her legs over the side of her simple bed. She had kicked the blankets away as she dreamt. They lay in a messy pile at her feet.

"You're awake."

She turned around as the door to her small house opened. It wasn't much. Two rooms, one of which was her bedroom. It contained nothing more than a bed and a small dresser. The other was a small living room with just a couple of chairs and a sofa. She didn't need anything else here. The village took care of her and she took care of the village. It was how they lived. It was all she had ever known. At least, it was all she knew when she was awake.

Her visitor's eyes narrowed as she took in her dishevelled appearance. "Another nightmare?"

"Yes," she answered as she brushed a black curl out of her eyes. Her charcoal black eyes looked up to meet bright green. "But I can't remember, Brighid."

"I had hoped the meditation would work but maybe we should consider a different journey to discover the meaning of your dreams," Brighid answered. She took step towards the dark haired woman. Brighid had bright red hair that fell down to her waist, framing a heart shaped face and accenting her ivory skin. Her eyes were green like those of a cat. Her nails were long and painted dark red. Black make-up surrounded her eyes and a golden amulet hung around her neck.

She turned away. "I don't know if I want to."

"You don't want to know what your subconscious is telling you?" Brighid asked and took a few steps towards the darker haired woman. "You don't even know your own name!"

It was true. She didn't know her own name. She didn't remember anything leading up to the moment she had opened her eyes. She'd woken up in this very house, in the same bed she slept in night after night. She'd been surrounded by people watching her, guarding her, protecting her. Brighid had been one of them. They had nursed her wounds and helped her heal. They had tried to retrieve her memory but so far no journey had been successful.

"You don't remember how you arrived in these woods, a country that is so far and foreign from your own," Brighid said softly. She reached up and cupped the dark haired woman's cheek. "Eva, one of these days you are going to have to face the demons in your dreams. You can't hide forever. They are looking for you and you'll never learn to understand them unless you truly open yourself up to them."

The day she was found was a day Brighid remembered well. A small group of hunters had been making their way home through the forest, bringing food for the village, when they came across the lifeless body along the banks of the stream. She lay face down near the water, blood plastered across her face. Her clothes were ripped and burnt in places, clumps of dark hair were missing. They had believed her to be dead until one of the hunters approached and felt a pulse, weak beneath her fingers. The stranger had broken through the magical wards and they brought her home. When she woke, they soon learnt that her magic went way beyond what they had ever seen yet she could not remember making her way here. Apart from the flashes in her dreams and nightmares, she didn't remember anything. They had called her Eva, even though it was not her name.

Eva turned her face away. The touch had been soft and comforting but it stirred something deep inside of her that she didn't understand. Resentment, something she didn't really feel at any other time unless the redhead was near. "What do you suggest, Brighid?"

"Perhaps it is time to guide the soul," Brighid said with a soft voice. "It is inside there you will find your answers, Eva."

Eva sighed and shook her head. "Perhaps there is a reason I do not remember."

"Perhaps there is a reason why you should."

Eva swallowed hard and walked across the small room to the window. It looked out over the surrounding trees. There had never been a scene more peaceful than this one. She loved it here, as long as it was daytime. But when the darkness fell and the shadows began to emerge, she would be trapped, wherever she went. She couldn't escape the whispers in her head, the endless flashes before her eyes. Faces that she didn't know and didn't remember, scenes of fire and destruction, screams of pain and torment followed by the sensation of lust and desire. It was all there, inside of her, and she didn't know why.

She jumped when she felt Brighid hands on her shoulders and stepped away from the touch. She had experienced strange things whenever the red head touched her. She'd feel like someone had thrown her into whirlwind and more images would flood into her mind. She didn't want to hear the voices. Her hands shot up to her ears and she covered them, as if to silence the screaming in her head. When she turned she found Brighid looking at her in worry.

"It happened again?"

"Your hands provoke my dreams."

"Your soul is trapped, Eva. It is hiding inside you and it needs to understand where you are, what happened to you!"

Eva's eyes darkened and she set her jaw. "Then let it be discovered tonight." A hint of aggression suddenly flickered in those charcoal orbs. "Let it be released."

Brighid smiled and her fingers unexpectedly ghosted up along Eva's arm. "Tonight, you shall be freed."

~()~

There were no Healers in the corridor when she walked in. Andromeda's eyes darted around the closed ward. She heard loud voices coming from one of the rooms on her left and as she walked past she saw the four Healers pinning down a young man onto his bed. He was kicking and screaming. Blood seeped from his mouth and a red stain had formed on one of the Healer's arms where he had obviously bitten her. Another Healer poured a potion down the man's throat but Andromeda didn't stay to watch how it began to work. She walked, the sound of her footsteps echoing along the hall, until she reached the door of Hermione's cell. She rose to the tip of her toes and peered inside. Hermione sat in the corner, her back pressed against the wall. She wasn't rocking and her eyes were fixed on the door.

She had seen and heard the Healers whisper the incantation to open the door plenty of times. Andromeda drew her own wand and placed it against the lock. She breathed the spell and heard the bolt slide on the other side of the door. The sound of metal scraping against metal sent a shiver down her spine but then the door opened. She stepped inside the darkened cell, closing the door behind her. It was cold in the cell, colder than she had expected, and her breath formed small clouds in the air. Her eyes fixed on Hermione. The brunette hadn't moved.

Andromeda carefully crossed the small room and dropped to her knees at Hermione's side. She reached out her hand and tentative fingers brushed along a cold cheek. Hermione didn't even stir. To feel her skin under her fingers again made her heart roar with fire and she had to fight the urge to just pull Hermione into her arms. She knew that what she was doing was dangerous. For the best part of a year she had only been able to watch Hermione through that tiny window. She couldn't cope with it any longer. She had to hold her.

"Hermione?" she whispered softly and brushed a strand of hair out of the young woman's face. Glazed, distant eyes looked up at her now that she spoke. "Hermione, can you hear me?"

"Go away."

It came out more like a grunt. Andromeda didn't recognise it. She didn't sound like Hermione. Her skin was paper thin and freezing cold under her touch. Badly healed wounds, scabs and scars covered her arms and legs as far as Andromeda could see. Hermione's hair was longer than she had ever seen it, tangled up into a wild mess of unruly manes. She had ripped her clothes to shreds, exposing more of her delicate body to the coolness of her cell.

"Hermione…" Andromeda tried again and reached for Hermione's hand. "Please…"

"GO AWAY!" Hermione growled and gave Andromeda an unexpected hard shove. The older woman lost her balance and landed sprawled out on the floor. She rolled over, onto her back, just in time to watch Hermione crawl to her feet and make her way towards her. There was something predatory about the way Hermione eyed her up and an unnerving feeling settled in Andromeda's stomach. By the time she had managed to raise her hands to push Hermione away, it was too late. The brunette had reached her.

"I don't want you in here. I don't want to see you!" For the first time Andromeda recognised Hermione's voice beneath the sound of her craziness.

"You knew I was here," Andromeda whispered. "All those times that I thought you didn't see me…"

"I saw you but I didn't want to see you," Hermione hissed. "I want you to leave me alone."

"Why?"

There was no answer. Hermione turned around again and crawled back to the corner where she had been sitting when Andromeda firs entered the cell. She pulled her knees up to her chest and fixed her eyes on something on the wall that Andromeda couldn't see. She staggered back to her feet and made it back to the door before turning around. Hermione wasn't looking at her.

"You know I'll keep coming back," Andromeda whispered. "One day I'll find a way to get you out there, out of whatever it is that's keeping you prisoner. One day I'll find out how to free you."

As she stepped out of the cell she found a Healer walking towards her. The witch arched an eyebrow when she noticed the door open and increased her pace. "Why is the door unlocked?"

"It was unlocked when I got here," Andromeda lied. "I just went to check if she was allright."

The Healer peered through the small window. "She's fine."

"No," Andromeda answered and heaved a sigh. "She's not. She's never going to be fine."

* * *

_We'll overcome our damaged past_  
_And we'll grow stronger side by side_  
_To stand together through the storms_  
_We're safe cause love will be our guide_  
_Xena: Warrior Princess – Hearts Are Hurting part 2_


	2. The Ides Of March

**Author's note:** Now, I hope the next chapter is going to make sense to all of you but in case there are some questions, let me explain the thought behind it. I did some reading online before starting this story, focusing on the fact that Bellatrix had little to no memory about what happened other than when she was asleep and had dreams. I relied on the well-known theory that dreams are a way for the brain to make sense of things that happened to us (even if they don't make sense to us). More often than not we cannot remember our dreams. I added that to something known as Soul Retrieval which is quite well known in some New Age beliefs as well as Shamanism. Hence Bellatrix/Eva being brought into a trance before starting her journey. However, nothing is every without consequence….

* * *

**Chapter 2**

** The Ides Of March  
**

Ireland was a land of myths, of legends and of magic. The rolling green hills and the endless forests hid beauties from the Muggle eye. It was within these forests that the magic Muggles believed to be fantasy was in fact real. A small part of Ireland's magic community had split off from the larger group of wizards and witches and focused on living like their ancestors had done in the old days. Their magic still heavily relied on those old times and within the forests of Ireland, time had not moved on. Witches and wizards still lived like their ancestors had done thousands of years ago. They still cherished their traditions and still practiced the old forms of magic.

The flames flickered, creating ghostly shadows across the walls. It was contained in the centre of the room, surrounded by pieces of stone. The heat made her sweat and tiny beads glistened on her forehead. Her dress clung to her body as she lay on her back, arms beside her body and her eyes fixed on the ceiling. The soft chanting and the monotone beating of a drum filled her head,, lulling her deeper and deeper into a state of emptiness. She knew this path. She had travelled it before but tonight she would travel it alone for the first time. There was no guide to hold her hand. She would be her own companion on the journey into her soul. Her chest was rising and falling rapidly, her hardened nipples prodding against the cotton around her skin. Eva's dark ringlets lay sprawled out around her and her charcoal eyes rolled back into her head as her body seized.

"The soul knows no secrets," whispered Brighid's voice. It was soft, like a mother whispering to a child before she slipped off into the land of dreams. "The answers to your nightmares hide within you, Eva. You are only going to find them if you dare to break the guards that you have built around yourself." Warm fingers crept up along the inside of her arm. "I'll be right here but this journey you have to make on your own, my child."

She fell into the darkness. A sudden cold wind gushed over her and it was as if her lungs were suddenly being compressed within her chest. She fought for air, the oxygen being drawn from her brain. Dark eyes snapped open, momentarily overwhelmed by fear, and then the peace came. Her lungs expanded and she was no longer falling. The space around her was empty. Dark walls, dark ceiling. There was no light. She was alone, trapped into a cave within her soul where there was nothing.

There are legends where it is believed that a soul can leave the human body and travel. It required a deep state of unconsciousness, somewhere beyond sleep but not quite reaching death. It could only be attempted by those who had received the training or those who were in desperate need of finding of what they had lost. The legend said that a travelling soul could obtain power, wisdom and answers on its journey. Only through this could the missing piece of the soul be restored.

Eva's eyes darted around the darkness. It was cold, but not uncomfortable. Slowly she sank down to the floor, bringing her knees up to her chest. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, allowing the images to overwhelm her. There they were; the faces from her dreams. Nameless faces that she didn't remember. Blonde hair, blue eyes, lips so soft and yet laced with poison. Dark hair, dark eyes, a heart so strong that it beat in tune with her own. Darker hair still, broken eyes, a sadness written across their faces that reflected an untold story of pain and suffering. She knew theses faces only within her dreams. When sunlight came they were erased from her and she couldn't hold onto them, couldn't beg them for the answers she craved.

The faces grew brighter and the scenes began to play before her eyes. Soft lips against her own, hands caressing her body. Soft voices, whispering words of seduction and power into her ear. She could feel those hands, nails grazing across her skin. She could smell the perfume, their scent lingering in her nose. She knew them like she knew her own. Faces changed in rapid succession, blurring from one into the other. Three sets of eyes, three sets of lips, all attempting to find her in this darkness and bring her back. She needed to see them, remember them, forever hold them.

Unexpectedly her eyes snapped open and she screamed. It was a high pitched scream, laced with terror. When she looked down her hands were covered in blood. It gushed from her body, pooling around her feet. The faces began to blur and in her chest the beating of her heart began to fade.

"What's happening?!" Brighid leant in and brushed a strand of hair out of Eva's eyes. A few burgundy drops of blood dripped from the corner of her mouth into her open palm.

"What's going on?" called another woman's voice. "Why is she bleeding?"

"I don't know," Brighid whispered as she frantically attempted to wake Eva. Her body was limp and lifeless. "Soul retrieval isn't supposed to go like this!" Her eyes darted around the room. "Quick, get me my dagger. A pain stimulation from our world may persuade her to come back." She glanced back at Eva. "Whatever she's found in there is trying to tear her apart."

Eva didn't hear their voices. She didn't see the pain and horror in their eyes. All she saw was the blood covering her hands as from the distance a single voice began calling her name. But it wasn't the name she was known by. It wasn't the name she had heard falling from everyone's lips since the day she woke up here. It was a name that came from the past, from a different life.

"_Bellatrix!"_

It was but a whisper but it grew louder, coming from the darkness.

Before she could speak she could see her. She saw her face, as clear as she could see the blood on her hands. She was there, in front of her, Brown hair fell down her shoulders, framing her face. Soft hazel eyes looked back at her, a tiny smile tugging at her lips. She knew her. Eva extended her hand but just as she was about to touch the almost ghost like figure in front of her, she faded. She shot forwards and disappeared into Bellatrix's chest. Another outcry of pain was followed by her eyes widening. The hint of innocence faded and the darkness that had once flickered within those orbs returned. Bellatrix Lestrange had woken up.

~()~

Hundreds of miles away, Hermione's body unexpectedly seized. The pain spread through her limbs and she wailed in agony whilst scrambling to her feet. She reached the door and banged it, the echo of her desperation slowly fading in the distance. She could feel it, inside of her. Something was alive, awake. She dropped to her knees and grabbed her head, pulling at her hair. It was too late. She was here, with her. She was no longer alone. They were together. They were one.

"_I know you can hear me, my love."_

Hermione's eyes snapped open. For over a year she hadn't heard that voice whispering in her ear but now it was here, in the emptiness of her cell. She was in her head.

"_Don't you dare ignore me!"_

Hermione looked around her. "I'm not."

"_Well, well, well, you still have a voice."_

"Get out of my head, Bellatrix. You have no right to be here."

"_Who are you to talk about rights? I'm here because of you."_

Hermione swallowed hard. She had done what she could, what she had thought was right. Bellatrix had been beyond saving. She knew the Ministry would have found her, taken her away and locked her up. They would have thrown her into some godforsaken corner of Azkaban and left her there to die. She couldn't save Narcissa but she could save Bellatrix. It had been a matter of seconds, before the invasion of the Ministry officials, in an unguarded moment where Andromeda had lost her out of her sight. She had found the dark hair hidden beneath the rubble and when she had felt the pulse beneath her finger tips she realised that not all was lost. It had been so simple, so easy. A goblet, fallen from a table in the Great Hall, changed into Portkey at her command and took Bellatrix away.

"You're alive because of me. Would you rather that those Ministry officials locked you up in Azkaban? They'd have thrown away the key as the first available opportunity," Hermione answered to the darkness of her cell. Her voice echoed around the room. Not even the padded walls could change that. "I'm in here because of you and you dare complain?!"

"_Have you got any idea what you've done to me?"_

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Apart from keeping you alive?"

"_Alive? You call this alive?!"_

The sound of footsteps in the distance alarmed her and Hermione shook her head in an attempt to rid herself of Bellatrix's voice. She crawled back into the corner of her cell and brought her knees up to her chest. Her eyes instantly darkened. It was a trick she had gotten very good at since first arriving here. She heard the familiar sound of a wand tapping against the lock and the bolt moved. Someone was coming.

"_Kill them! Get out of here!"_

She ignored Bellatrix but couldn't fight off the feeling of someone clawing their way out from inside of her. It was as if she wasn't alone in her body, like somebody else was in there with her. Her eyes narrowed as she sized up the Healer entering her cell. She knew him and didn't like him. He was unnecessarily forceful and had been known to bruise her jaw in an attempt to get her to take her potions. They engaged in a silent standoff as he tried to determine whether she was going to attack him or not.

"_GET HIM!"_

"Piss off, Bellatrix," Hermione whispered. She tried to do it under her breath but the Healer heard her anyway.

"Hearing voices, are we?" he taunted. He reached into his pocket and took out the by now familiar potion phial. "You know, there are some out there who think you're not as crazy as you seem, Granger, but I think differently. Talking to yourself, hearing voices… you're as crazy as the rest of 'em, you know. Bonkers. Completely mental." He took a step towards her as he took the stopper out of the phial. "Now open up…"

"_Is this what you're letting them do to you? Have you forgotten who you are, what you can do? This vermin should be crawling at your feet, begging for your mercy!" _

Bellatrix's voice was sharper now, louder than it had been. Hermione felt a cool shiver creep down her spine and as the Healer approached, the leapt to her feet and her fingers closed around his throat. With all the strength in her body she slammed him against one of the padded walls and watched how the fear ignited in his eyes. The sensation, the rush of power, sent her heart racing and she stared at his frightened face in amusement. Her fingers squeezed a little tighter, forcing the last remaining air out of his body. In the back of her mind she could hear Bellatrix laughing. It brought a smile to her face and she brought her lips closer to the Healer's ear.

"You forget who I am," she whispered. "One unguarded moment…" Her free hand slipped down his arm and yanked back his sleeve. His wrist wasn't marked. She furrowed her brow. "You're one of those who got away." His eyes started to bulge out of his head and his lips began to turn blue. Hermione's throaty chuckle only brought a more intense fear to his eyes. "You're right; I'm not nearly as crazy as they think I am. I'm worse."

She stepped away from him and the Healer slumped down to the ground, grasping at his throat for air. He stared at Hermione, frightened, and attempted to crawl away from her towards the door. She didn't even try to stop him.

"_What did you do that for?! You could have killed him!"_

"I know, Bellatrix," Hermione mused softly. "But that means they're only going to hunt me down when I leave here."

"_Leave?"_

"Oh yes, my love," Hermione smiled as she sank down into the corner of her cell and began rocking backwards and forwards. The glint in her eye was unmistakable. "I have no intentions of staying here any longer."

~()~

Brighid placed the sharp tip of her dagger in the palm of Eva's hand and pressed. The first drops of blood began to form and seconds later the dark haired woman's eyes snapped open and she immediately yanked her hand away. She groaned in pain as she checked the injury before glancing back at Brighid. For a few seconds she couldn't quite see her face. It was as if two worlds had blurred together and slowly things started to fall back into place.

"What happened?" she asked as she sat up. The orange flames of the fire reflected in her eyes.

"I was about to ask you the same thing," Brighid asked. "The soul retrieval journey didn't follow the paths set out." Her eyes narrowed as she studied Eva's face. She could see the change in her eyes, as if someone else had woken up inside of her, but the reflection slowly died. "What do you remember?"

Eva furrowed her brow. "Faces." She looked down at her bleeding hand. The blood that had stained it during her journey was gone. She didn't know if it had ever really been there. "Voices."

One voice. She remembered one voice. She heard it. In her head. They had talked.

"Something happened, didn't it?" Brighid asked.

"I saw someone," Eva answered. "We spoke."

Brighid took a deep breath. "Your soul recognised something and tried for you to understand it, Eva. It is impossible to speak to another soul during the journey."

"Send me back," Eva demanded but Brighid shook her head.

"It's too dangerous. You started bleeding while you were sleeping, Eva. I can't let you do this again."

"Then I'll do it myself."

Eva stood up and the sound of the drum that had accompanied her soul retrieving journey stopped. There was only silence now. No one spoke. Eva's dark eyes darted around the small room. Something inside of her stirred, as if it slowly woke from a slumber. It was an intense desire that suddenly ravaged her from the inside out, spreading like a wildfire, eating at her organs and seeping into every cell of her body. She clenched and then relaxed her fingers as the sensation spread through her and Brighid, who had been watching Eva from the side, took a step towards her.

"Don't," Eva suddenly growled and raised her arm so fast that Brighid didn't have time to step out of the way. Eva's hand made contact with Brighid cheek and she slapped her, hard. The redhead staggered backwards and was caught by two of her hunters. "Don't you dare touch me."

"Eva…"

"Don't call me that," Eva hissed. "That's not my name."

The tension in the room shifted as the magic began to build. Natural magic was something every witch and wizard possessed and some of it could be used without a wand. Eva had used some of her magic throughout her stay in the village but now she suddenly felt the sheer force of what had been hidden inside of her. The earth trembled beneath their feet and she threw her head back as she reached her hands up to the ceiling. No one had time to react when the roof split and the heavy rain that had started to pour outside found its way in.

"EVA!" Brighid shouted as she freed herself from her hunters' protective arms and ran towards the raven haired woman. Rain hammered down on their heads, drenching everyone inside the room. When Brighid reached Eva she attempted to grab her arms. "Listen to me, Eva! LISTEN TO ME!"

"I don't have to listen to you," Eva hissed and her dark eyes pierced into Brighid's light coloured orbs. "You are nothing."

"Who are you?" Brighid demanded. She managed to finally take one of Eva's hands and rolled back her sleeves. She had seen the scar many times but the meaning was unknown to her. Within their community she had never seen a sign like it but now she began to understand that whatever it was, held the truth about Eva. "Tell me who you are!"

Eva suddenly cackled. A high pitched, almost childlike giggle that sent a shiver down Brighid's spine. She was pushed back, away from Eva, and tripped over her own feet before landing on the ground. She watched the raven haired woman turn away from her. Eva ran towards the door and opened it. The rain was still gushing in but now the thunder started. It came rolling in from the west and an almighty bang startled her. It was followed by a bright flash of light that lit up Eva's contorted face.

"You can't leave!" Brighid called and scrambled back to her feet. "Eva, you didn't complete the ritual. Your soul is still searching. Whatever it is that happened to you, will continue to happen unless you complete the cycle!"

"No," Eva growled and shook her head. "And don't call me Eva!"

"Then who are you?"

Dark eyes glistened almost demonically. "I'll find the answer to that question without you." She stretched out her palm and with all the strength she could find in her body she managed to quietly summon Brighid's dagger. It landed in her open hand and she inspected it before slipping it into her dress. Without speaking she turned around, her feet bare and her dress already covered in mud. Her dark curls stuck to her forehead. She disappeared into the night and vanished from Brighid's sight.

* * *

**Title explanation:** From Shakespeare's _Julius Caesar_, 1601. 'Beware the Ides of March' is the soothsayer's message to Julius Caesar, warning of his death. The Ides of March didn't signify anything special in itself - this was just the usual way of saying "March 15th - but since it is also a foreboding of death, it seemed fitting for the chapter where Bellatrix regains at least some of her memory,


	3. Immortality

**Author's note:** Work has been trying to kill me recently but now I have broken up for the holidays. I hope everyone is ready for Christmas! I managed this update today. There are some things you'll pick up on in here that will turn up into the plot again in the future. Enjoy the read and I hope you will all have a very merry Christmas!

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**Immortality  
**

There was urgency to her stride as she walked down the corridors of St Mungo's. It was late at night and the sky was pitch black. The stars had been clear tonight and she had spent numerous minutes looking up at the constellations until she found the one that contained the star that carried her sister's name. Bellatrix was the third brightest star in the constellation of Orion. It had been a long time since she looked up at the skies to find her sister's star but tonight she had been drawn to it like she had been drawn to it when she was a little girl. Until now, with her footsteps echoing the empty corridors, she didn't understand why. That was about to change.

Andromeda reached the door that led to the closed ward of St Mungo's psychiatric wing and looked over her shoulder before entering. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone, or something, was watching her. She waited for the door to close behind her and turned around. This corridor was empty too. The haunting screams of patients trapped in their own world of madness filled her ears and a cold shiver travelled down her spine.

"Andromeda?" the sound of a woman's voice snapped her out of her thoughts and she looked up, bewildered. The young Healer, her blonde hair cropped short apart from the bright blue strand that covered the side of her face, studied the older witch's face in surprise. "What are you doing here this late?"

"Is she allright?" Andromeda asked, unable to mask the fear in her voice. "Hermione, is she allright?"

"She attacked one of the other Healers a few hours ago," the witch answered. It was only now that Andromeda remembered her name to be Maryanne.

Her eyes darkened. "What did she do to him?"

"Took him by the throat and pressed him up the wall."

Andromeda swallowed hard. "Did she injure him?"

Maryanne shook her head. "She let him go before she did any serious harm. He said she then went back to her usual corner and rocked herself for some time." She looked at the dark haired witch. "Why are you asking about Hermione? You only saw her yesterday."

"Something I can't quite put my finger on," Andromeda admitted. "But something told me…I knew something had happened." She eyed the blonde Healer up. It was close to midnight and visiting hours were long gone. Then again, she usually came and went as she pleased anyway. Most of the Healers knew her so well by now that they just let her be. She was one of the few people to ever visit this ward. Most of the other people locked up in these cells didn't get anyone to visit them. The crazy really were lonely. "Is it too late for me to see her?"

"You know the way," Maryanne smiled. "Just make sure you don't wake up any of the others. Last thing I need is an uprising in the middle of the night."

"Thanks," Andromeda said. She started down the corridor only to turn around after a few steps. Maryanne was about to go back to her office but stalled when the older woman stopped. "Did she say anything to the Healer she attacked? Anything at all?"

"He said she'd been talking to herself," Maryanne said. "It was the first time he'd ever heard her speak. She doesn't usually say anything to us when we come in to her cell. Just sits there in silence, you know. This was also the first time she physically attacked anyone else. Her anger is normally directed at herself. It was all a bit bizarre, really."

"What did she say?"

"Excuse me?"

"What did the Healer her say?"

"She said, 'piss of, Bellatrix'," Maryanne answered.

"Bellatrix?" Andromeda breathed. "You're sure he heard this right?"

"No doubt about it," Maryanne answered. "We all know what Hermione did, Andromeda. We all know what she and Bellatrix and Narcissa did to this world. If he said he heard her mention Bellatrix's name then I believe in. Funny though, she never did it before."

"Yeah," Andromeda whispered and started down the corridor with the same urgency that had brought her here in the first place. She reached Hermione's cell after just a few steps and rose to the tip of her toes before peering inside through the barred window. The young witch sat huddled in the corner, a shabby blanket draped around her shoulders. A clean mattress, some pyjamas and a full plate of food had been pushed aside. It appeared that she was clinging on to the rags instead. Andromeda's gaze trailed over the injuries covering Hermione's arms and legs. They were harrowing and unsightly.

"So she found you," Andromeda whispered, her hand resting against the cool metals bars. Her voice was soft but loud enough for Hermione to hear you. "I know she found you, Hermione, and by Merlin I swear that I am not going to let her anywhere near you." She glanced back over her shoulder. Maryanne had disappeared in her office. Andromeda took her wand and placed it against the lock. She whispered the incantation and the heavy bolt moved.

She stepped into the cell and closed the door behind her. Her eyes adapted to the darkness and she crossed the small space until she reached Hermione and knelt down beside her. She carefully slipped two fingers under the young woman's chin and lifted up her face so their gazes locked. Immediately she felt her heart swell with love and she resisted wrapping her arms around Hermione and holding her. She had to be sure. She had to know.

"You heard her, didn't you?" Andromeda asked softly, her fingers caressing Hermione's cheeks. "I know you did."

"What do you know?" Hermione grunted. Her brown eyes rolled in her head and Andromeda wondered how badly she had been medicated since the incident with the Healer.

"More than you think," Andromeda answered. "I know she found you."

"Bellatrix is dead."

Andromeda's dark eyes pierced into Hermione's. The twisted mask of craziness looked ugly on her. For a moment Andromeda wondered how much of the girl she had once known still lived beneath it. "She's not. You know it and I know it."

"You don't know_ anything_."

"I do," Andromeda whispered. "I know you saved her, Hermione."

Hermione's eyes widened and she looked up at Andromeda in surprise. "How…"

"I've always known." Andromeda took a deep breath. "Who else could have helped her escape from the ruins of Hogwarts that day? There was no one else but you who would have risked everything." The sadness filled her heart. "I know what you did and I lied to the Ministry when they asked questions. I know you saved her but I also knew that she was so badly hurt that she could do no damage to anyone. Her wand had been destroyed. Bellatrix had been broken."

"You lied?"

"The same way you did," Andromeda smiled weakly. Her eyes fixed on the scars on Hermione's arms.

"I didn't tell anyone Bellatrix was alive!"

"You're not as crazy as you want them to think you are," Andromeda countered. "You did all of this to protect her, to keep her safe, wherever it was you sent her to. You lied to the whole world, pretending you're crazy and for a long time even I believed you." She shook her head. "But no more."

"How?" Hermione asked. The sudden spark in her eyes returned. "How did you know?"

"A long time ago I had a dream," Andromeda whispered. "It was a night as dark as this one and in my dream I saw your face, the same way I know you saw mine although you weren't with me at the time. You were with Bellatrix that night and yet it was me you saw." As she spoke those words she knew Hermione remembered. She could see it in her eyes. It had been the night that Hermione had made love to Bellatrix but had seen another's face before her eyes. "That night our souls connected with each other."

"My soul is dead now, Andy. It can't connect to anything."

"Your wrong," Andromeda whispered. "Your soul is very much alive, inside of you." She went to reach and touch Hermione's chest but the brunette slapped her hand away. "Your heart is still alive too, yearning for Bellatrix the same way your soul still yearns for me. It is that desire, that anguish, which is your real torment." She softly traced the scars with her fingertips. They felt rough and raw underneath her touch. "It is that turmoil that made you do this."

"What do you know?" Hermione hissed and leapt to her feet. The shabby blanket that covered her shoulders slipped away from her and revealed her thin frame. Her shoulders were protruding and her skin was paper thin. "You don't know anything about pain!"

"That's it, isn't it? It is the pain that's driving you insane," Andromeda said and slowly rose to her feet too. "And suddenly tonight, that pain ended." She cocked her head to study the younger woman's face. "Suddenly tonight the burning finally ended. No more acid in your veins, no more headaches, no more constant longing. It was all gone." Her voice dropped to a deep, low whisper. "You finally feel normal again."

"Nothing is normal anymore," Hermione answered defiantly. "Nothing will ever be normal again."

"But it stopped, right?"

"So what if it did?"

"Did you see her?" Andromeda whispered and took a step towards Hermione. "Or just hear her voice?"

"What the bloody hell…"

"Did you_ hear_ her voice?" Andromeda insisted. "Bellatrix lives and I know you know it too."

"How do you even know this?" Hermione interjected. "How come you're here, in the middle of the night, asking questions about the sister you hated? The one whose heart you broke? Did you ever realise that the sole reason for her hatred, for her destruction in this world, was you? Did you ever understand that all of this was because of you, because of what she wanted from you, what you could never give her?"

"It was about both of us," Andromeda answered. "She wanted you and she got you when the darkness opened up inside you. She got me when I fell in love with you and Merlin knows I will never be able to stop those feelings. The myths about soul mates are true. They will always be true for me. But Bellatrix is my sister, Hermione. That alone creates a bond not even magic can understand."

"You're as crazy as she is," Hermione scoffed. "You're all nuts, the lot of ya!"

"I saw her," Andromeda whispered and suddenly Hermione's eyes lit up. "I saw her as if she were standing in this very room. I saw her eyes, I saw her hair. It was her. I saw the blood on her face, the anger in her eyes when the true heart inside of her woke up. Whatever happened, wherever she is, she is awake and she is coming for you."

The longing in Hermione's eyes was instant. "She's coming for me?"

"Sooner or later she'll find you," Andromeda replied. "She's still fitting the pieces of the puzzle together but one of these days…"

"You do realise you're making absolutely no sense whatsoever, right?" Hermione asked and cocked an eyebrow. "And they say I'm the crazy one."

"Lose the attitude," Andromeda said sharply. "I will explain everything to you once I get you out of here."

"Out of here?! Are you out of your mind?!" Hermione shrieked. It was so loud that Andromeda knew Maryanne must have heard her. Her eyes darted to the door, expecting to hear the sound of footsteps but it remained quiet. "Do you really think the Healers are just going to let me walk out of here?"

"No, they're not," Andromeda answered. She twirled her wand through her fingers and before Hermione could protest or object she had pressed the tip into her side. "They won't even know you're gone." She whispered the spell and Hermione's body instantly went limp. She caught her in her arms and carefully lay Hermione down onto the floor. She then sprinted to the door and opened it.

"Maryanne! MARYANNE!"

"What the hell…" Maryanne muttered as she ran through the corridor and reached Hermione's cell. When she stepped inside she immediately found the brunette on the floor and looked back up at Andromeda, horrified. "What happened?!"

"I don't know," Andromeda whispered. "But we need to get her out of here!"

"I'll call for another ward to come and pick her up."

"No!" Andromeda objected. "It's going to take too long." She picked Hermione up in her arms and cradled her against her chest. "Drop the protective guards. I'll take her myself!"

"I can't do that," Maryanne said and shook her head. "Dropping those guards leaves us vulnerable."

"A bunch of crazies without a wand are hardly going to cause a problem," Andromeda countered. "She needs to get out of here. Merlin knows what's wrong with her!" Tears glistened in her eyes and she looked at the blonde Healer in desperation. "I have already lost both my sisters. Please don't let me lose her too. She's all that I've got left!"

"Ok," Maryanne said softly and drew her wand from the inside of her sleeve. She flicked it twice and a shift in pressure told Andromeda that the protective guard had been lifted. She looked down at Hermione unconscious in her arms and managed to hold her up with one arm long enough to aim her wand at Maryanne. The young Healer didn't get a chance to even realise what it was she was doing.

"Obliviate!" The spell hit Maryanne in the chest and her eyes almost immediately glazed over. Andromeda followed that spell with another one. "Imperio!" Maryanne's eyes returned to their normal shade but she stared at the dark haired witch in expectation. "When I leave here you will restore the guards. You will go about your usual work and you will go home at the end of your shift. Tell everyone Hermione is fine." She lowered her wand and Maryanne turned around.

Andromeda closed her eyes and turned on the spot, Hermione securely wrapped up in her arms. The dark cell changed into a blur and a few seconds later she felt the cold evening wind on her face. She was standing in the London street she now called home and quickly climbed the steps to the front door. As she stepped inside she made sure to place protective spells upon the house. The door fell into its lock and she was surrounded by the silence and shadows.

Andromeda carried Hermione up the stairs and paused outside her daughter's bedroom door. She would have to explain this to Nymphadora in the morning and she knew that her daughter wasn't going to like what she had to say. She wasn't sure if she could maintain her lie. With a sigh Andromeda opened the door to the spare bedroom and gently left Hermione on the bed. With a small flick from her wand she lifted the spell. She then pulled up a chair to the side of the bed, lit a candle and watched the brunette sleep. For the first time in a year Hermione's face seemed void of torment.

Andromeda's hand slipped into her pocket and took out the broken chain. She let it run through her fingers until the locket attached to it rested in the palm of her hand. The gold had been scratched and worn out over the years but the pattern had not changed. Three clear lines, engraved into gold. The one towards the left was just a simple line, leading to nowhere in particular. The other two however, were intertwined and were a deep shade of burgundy, much like blood. With a sigh, Andromeda closed her hand around her locket before slipping it back into her pocket.

She got up from her chair, walked around the bed and opened the bedside cabinet. She took the small box that she kept inside of it out and took it back to the chair. She placed it on her lap before gently opening it. The Invisibility Cloak lay folded up at the bottom. Her fingers ghosted across the soft material and she shivered at the memories this thing carried. She then picked up the little black pouch and opened it. The Resurrection Stone fell into her hand and she clutched it, much like one would a lifeline. The Deathly Hallows were hers. They made one the Master of Death but there was a story that it also made one the Master of Life.

The Hallows were meant to teach about the value of life. Only those who owned the Hallows but did not intend to use them for their own personal gain could truly control them. She did not fear death but she did not fear life either. She knew she could not bring back those she had lost. She did not feel the desire to. She missed talking to her friends but all she had left now was her guilt over their deaths. Seeing their faces was something she could not bear. She also didn't know who she would see if she would ever chose to turn the stone thrice in hand. The image of Narcissa's lifeless body haunted her every day.

She closed the lid just as Hermione's eyes opened and she quickly put the box down and reached for her wand. Hermione blinked a few times and took in her new surroundings of the tastefully decorated bedroom. The double bed was soft and the sheets clean and crisp. She sat up and her eyes found Andromeda. Almost immediately t her features hardened.

"What did you do?"

"I'm keeping you safe."

Hermione scowled. "You're insane."

"Some would say that makes two of us."

Hermione swung her legs over the side of the bed and slipped off it. Her bare feet made contact with the soft carpet and she swallowed. Carefully, and whilst feeling Andromeda's eyes burning in her back, she walked to the window and looked through the darkened glass at the world outside. It had been a year since she last saw the city. Tender fingers caressed the barrier between her and the world outside. "Why bring me here?"

"She'll never know where to look for you now."

Hermione slowly turned around. "You never told me how you know about her."

Andromeda's hand slipped back into her pocket and she took out the broken chain. The locket dangled before her Hermione's eyes. "It all comes back to this."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "What is it?"

"A necklace my father gave to me when I turned eleven," Andromeda explained. "He had them made by goblins. There was one for each of us. We received it the day we turned eleven. Bellatrix got hers first, then I got mine and eventually Narcissa got hers." She opened her palm and showed Hermione the locket. Her index finger pointed out the lines cut into the surface. "Once, many years ago, these lines were entwined all together, like a lifeline. They were all painted red, the colour of blood." She smirked when Hermione arched an eyebrow. "My father's idea of loyalty was a little bit bizarre."

"Must be a family trait."

"The night Narcissa died, one line parted from the others," Andromeda said softly and her index finger followed the line that led away from the other two. "The blood pooled out of the locket and it was that night that I realised that it was our blood that resided within the gold." She swallowed hard. "That same night, the blood also pooled out of one of the other two lines but they never parted. Father always said that only death can break a bond of blood."

"Your Father was an idiot," Hermione sneered. "A perverted one at that."

"Bellatrix wasn't dead," Andromeda whispered. "I knew it that night but what I didn't know was how she had survived until I realised that you had saved her. But the blood didn't reappear inside the locket until tonight." Her eyes darkened. "I saw her in my dream, waking up in a world of fire. She was there, her eyes was vivid as I remember them. When I checked the locket, the blood had returned and I knew that she isn't just alive; she is on her way home too. Bellatrix is coming."

Hermione suddenly laughed. It was a hollow and almost insane laughter. "What do you want from me, Andy? Do you really think that something has changed? After all of this you expect me to fall at your feet? What makes you think I won't run to her side as soon as she appears?"

"I don't know," Andromeda admitted. "I know what I had to do. I'll be damned if I am going to let her anywhere near you."

"You really think they're going to help you this time?" Hermione taunted. "They all think Bellatrix is dead, Andy. They will all know you lied to them for a year. How do you think they're going to feel when they find that out? Do you still think they're going to support you when they learn the truth?" She took a step towards the older woman. They were now so close together that Andromeda could feel Hermione's warm breath against her skin. "They're going to hate you like they hate me. You'll lose everything."

"Except you," Andromeda answered softly and cupped Hermione's cheek. "I'm not losing you."

"Do you still hold on to this soul mate crap?"

"I always will."

"It's over, Andromeda." Hermione was about to turn away from Andromeda when the older woman suddenly grabbed her wrist and prevented her from doing so. Their gazes locked.

"It will never be over."

The kiss was soft and tentative and Andromeda felt herself well up with tears. Hermione's lips were dry and covered in scabs but she still remembered, she still felt the same. Tears streamed down her face as she wrapped her arms around the younger woman and pulled her nearer. She had fought for this moment, to be able to hold her in her arms, and she wasn't going to let it go.

"What the hell is going on in here?"

Nymphadora Tonks' voice drove them apart and Andromeda turned around when she heard her daughter's voice. What she saw in her child's eyes was the absolute horror of someone who realised they had been betrayed and lied to. She saw what it was like to see something they had believed to be real fall apart. Before Andromeda could speak a single word her daughter had turned around and the sound of her thundering footsteps down the stairs echoed around the house.

Andromeda reached the top of the stairs and looked down to find the front door wide open, the wind now pulling at her hair. Nymphadora was gone. Hermione reached her, her rags still clinging to her slender frame, and she too looked down the stairs.

"So this is what you wanted?" she asked and looked at Andromeda, a hint of a smile playing around her lips. "For everything to fall apart?"


	4. Shadows and Ire

**Author's note:** Happy New Year, everyone! I hope you've all had a lovely Christmas and New Year's. I've been away for the holidays which left me unable to write a full update but did allow me to write tiny snippets at times so there are some bits and pieces ready for future chapters too. Right, there is a lot happening in this chapter and it's kind of hard to explain without giving too many details about the future away. All the Cores are gone which means that the connection between Bellatrix and Hermione is one of heart and Hermione and Andromeda one of soul. Now the choice will be one influenced by her emotions and feelings. That leaves the locket Andromeda owns as a connection between her and Bellatrix and voila, another strange kind of trinity has been created. Also, the wand maker in this chapter mentions the trinity of wood, core and natural magic so looks like I keep going back to some kind of three-unit all the same. I intend to bring the Deathly Hallows into it at some point (still working on the actual plot part that involves these items)

Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter 4**

**Shadows And Ire  
**

She had fled the village that had healed her wounds and nursed her through her fevers. She had turned her back on the magic that had helped her heal and allowed her to explore parts of herself she never knew existed. But it had been those rituals, supported by the dreams she had when she slept, that now left her in this state of slumber. She needed to be awake, she needed to remember what her brain had tried to forget and the only way she knew how was to force herself to experience it all over again. To slip into her mind, as if she were asleep with her eyes and mind open, and find the images she'd forgotten were there. Brighid had taught her this method months earlier but she had never deemed herself ready to start the journey. Now she was. She needed to be ready.

The images in her head started to form a story. She spent the day lying on her back in the sun, her hands beneath her head, and she stared up into the bright light until she was blinded and fell into the well of darkness. She let the scenes play before her eyes. It hurt to remember. The tears streamed down her face, at some point laced with blood, as she forced herself to relive what she had been. She saw their faces and remembered their eyes. The memories returned, one by one, and she relived all of them throughout the hours of the day. It didn't leave her exhausted. If anything, it left her feeling rejuvenated and stronger than she ever remembered being. She remembered who she was and she wanted to go back to where she had once been. Bellatrix Lestrange had woken up and all the feelings and emotions that had slumbered inside of her were awake too.

Once night time fell she began travelling again. She followed the rumours. It wasn't difficult to separate the wizards from the Muggles and she listened to their conversations. Once she had heard enough she Apparated to the next village or just walked by foot. She'd found a cloak after leaving the forest and never lowered her hood. She listened to the old men talking in the pub whilst drinking their pints of beer. She saw the young children playing in the streets, not even trying to hide their magic. She watched as their parents talked. They all had wands. Most of them looked new. It didn't take her long to learn a name. The name of the person who would be able to give her what she needed the most. A way out.

The villages were few and far between in these wide lands and the magical folk travelled a lot. It was late and the skies were dark when she finally arrived in a small coastal village in County Cork. It was a village originally built by fishermen, with small cottages along narrow streets. She could hear the sea in the distance, the calm sound of waves crashing onto the beach. It was dark and a full moon stood high in the sky. Most of the windows were dark but there were one or two that were illuminated. She had followed the word of an elderly wizard in the previous village. He spoke of the man who made wands. He had retired, before the war, but after the deaths of Ollivander and Gregorovitch he had returned to his old trait.

Bellatrix's black eyes darted around. The narrow streets were abandoned. She made her way along the houses until she found the one at the end. It matched the description the old man had given her. Had he known who he was talking to he would never have spoken to her but he'd been drunk, thanks to Bellatrix buying him several glasses of Firewhisky. He'd taken to the kind stranger with the English accent. It had taken a little bit of time to understand his strong Irish lilt but once Bellatrix knew that he would be the one to guide her to her next stop, she'd given him her full attention.

The shop window didn't look like anything special. Unlike Ollivander's wand shop in Diagon Alley, nothing about this place looked like a wand shop at all. Then again, it was located in the middle of a Muggle village. She'd sensed the magical wards around it, most likely to keep unwanted visitors out. She tried the door and was surprised to find it wasn't locked. Bellatrix's breath hitched in the back of her throat as she stepped into the dark shop. The only light came from a single candle burning on a table in the corner of the room.

"Can I help you?"

The man's voice startled her and Bellatrix's eyes searched the darkness around her. She found the old man standing not far from the candle. The weak flame illuminated his face. The wrinkles and lines told a quiet story of someone who had seen a lot in his lifetime. Inquisitive blue eyes had fixed on the late night visitor.

Bellatrix straightened her spine and made sure to keep her hood on. She'd gotten used to altering the pitch of her voice. "I've been told you're the wand maker."

"Your source is correct," spoke the old man. "I am Padraig Murphy."

"I need your help," Bellatrix said softly. From under her head she took in Padraig's appearance. He had lost almost all of his hair. Once it had been blonde but whatever was left had changed into silvery grey. He was dressed in emerald green robes that seemed a size too big for his thin frame. "I need a wand."

"You have lost yours?" he inquired.

"You could say that."

Padraig stumbled across the room. As he walked, more candles magically lit up. The flames seemed to follow him and Bellatrix's eyes wandered around the room. Like Ollivander's shop back in London, the walls were stacked with boxes. Little stickers had been stuck on the front. The handwriting was tiny and looked like Gaelic. Bellatrix couldn't decipher what it said. She followed Padraig across the room and reached a counter. The old wizard had disappeared. For a moment Bellatrix thought that he'd recognised her and had gone to raise the alarm but then she heard his voice.

"Would you mind holding out your right hand?"

Bellatrix did what she was told and slowly extended her right hand. She felt an unexpected tingling sensation in her fingertips and a cold shiver began creeping down her spine. Her brain told her to close her eyes and she welcomed the darkness. The magic travelled through her, seeping into her veins like acid, and she felt how it filled her up. It overwhelmed her, rushing through her body. When her eyes snapped open she found a wand lying in her hand, its tip pointing at her chest, at a slight angle. The wand was pointing at her heart.

"Remarkable," Padraig piped up from behind the counter. "I have never seen a wand respond this quickly to anyone." Curious eyes attempted to connect with Bellatrix but her face was well hidden underneath the hood. "People often fear the arrival of a dark stranger in the night."

"I have my reasons," Bellatrix answered and reached into the pocket of her cloak. She took out a small pouch and took out several Galleons, courtesy of a few drunk wizards in various pubs across Ireland. They didn't need the money anyway. She rolled the wand through her fingers as she counted the coins. "I detect Blackthorn, am I right?"

"Correct," Padraig answered. "Blackthorn is a very unusual wand wood and is often considered best suited to a warrior." A smile tugged at his lips. "It's a curious little thing, Blackthorn. The bush sports wicked thorns and it produces its sweetest berries after the hardest frosts. Blackthorn wands are loyal. It will serve you well."

"And the core?" Bellatrix answered. The wand felt familiar in her hand, even if she had only touched it for the first time tonight.

"Dragon heart-string."

"Again."

"Excuse me?"

Bellatrix inspected the new wand. "My previous wand possessed a dragon heart-string core. It was taken from me in battle. I don't believe I will ever see it again."

"When wizards and witches acquire a new wand, they are often surprised to find that the core hasn't changed. In fact, sometimes they end up with the same wand again," Padraig explained. "The core recognises something within the witch or wizard that also lives within the wand itself. The wood has qualities of its own and together they make the perfect combination. Added with the natural magic of the witch or wizard, you create the magical trinity."

Bellatrix smiled to herself. "How much?"

"Seven Galleons."

She left the money on the counter and watched as the old man put the coins into a simple wooden box. When he looked up he noticed she was still standing in his shop. He mistook her presence for hesitation and walked around the counter and approached her. "You seem troubled. Are you going to tell me your name, my friend?"

Bellatrix reached for her hood and lowered it, freeing the raven curls. They cascaded down her back and immediately Padraig took several steps away from her. Fear was written across his wrinkled face and he clutched his chest as he staggered towards his counter. He grasped it in an attempt to keep himself upright. "You're…. You're…."

"Bellatrix Lestrange? Supposed to be dead?" Bellatrix finished his sentence for him and cocked her head. "Good to see my appearance still frightens people."

"How…"

"Don't bore me with your questions," Bellatrix barked. She aimed the wand she had just bought at the shivering man's body and flicked it. "AVADA KEDAVRA!" She felt the magic travel through her body and the spell fell from her lips with ease. The green jet burst from the tip of her new wand and shot across the distance of the room before hitting the old man in the chest. Bellatrix watched how the flicker of life died in his eyes. His body slumped down to the floor, on its back. Padraig's mouth was slightly ajar and his empty, dead eyes stared up at the ceiling.

Bellatrix walked around the lifeless body and took the wooden box Padraig had put down minutes earlier. It felt heavy and when she opened it she saw a significant amount of money inside. She took most of the coins and slipped them in her pocket. Her eyes then darted around the room. One by one the candles started to die and the darkness soon swallowed her up. She used the light from the tip of her wand to find the door and left it open in her wake as she vanished into the night. The sound of her footsteps had long died out in the distance by the time Padraig's body was found.

She followed the path along the coastline. The sea wind pulled at her hair and she could smell the salt in the air. Her heart pounded in her chest with every step she took. She had regained her power, found the missing piece of herself. The wand had filled a gaping hole inside of her. She felt complete again. Her mind had been blurred until tonight. She'd seen the faces but had been unable to recognise them. She'd heard the voices in her dreams but did not know to whom they belonged. Until the night she had heard _her_ voice, Hermione's voice. It had brought it all back and this was where she was now.

"I'll find you," Bellatrix whispered to the wind as it took her voice away and carried it off into the distance. "I swear I'll find you."

Bellatrix took a deep breath and turned on the spot. She only knew one place she could go. The place where it had all ended that night. She would find her answers, her beginning, by going back to the end. From the depths of her mind, from the first time in over a year, Bellatrix called up the image of Hogwarts Castle, hidden deep in the Scottish Highlands. She clutched the wand in her hand and her feet lost contact with the ground. The sound of her cackle lingered on, carried by the wind, after she was gone.

~()~

Andromeda had waited desperately for her daughter to come home but when the sun climbed up from behind the horizon and caressed the city of London with its warmth, she came to the sad conclusion that Nymphadora wasn't going to come home. She stood by the window, looking out into the street, waiting for her to arrive, when she knew deep down that she wouldn't. The sound of Hermione's footsteps behind her made her look up. Sadness reflected in her eyes but it faded when she took in the brunette's appearance.

Hermione had showered and the damp brown ringlets of her hair framed her face. She was dressed in a pair of worn out jeans and a long sleeved white shirt. The fabric covered most of the bruises and scars across her body. Her skin was still pale and looked paper thin but a somewhat healthy glow had begun to return to her cheeks. The hazel brown eyes she had come to know so well were still hollow and Andromeda sighed when Hermione slowly walked towards her.

"She isn't coming back," Hermione said softly.

"Looks like I finally pushed her away," Andromeda said softly. "Can't say I blame her."

"You never told me why you brought me here," Hermione asked as she sat down in the windowsill. She pulled up a leg underneath her body. "The war is over. The cores hDen been destroyed. Bellatrix is missing and Narcissa is dead. To the whole world it seems like life has gone back to normal yet your daughter walked out when she saw me here. She holds me responsible for everything and she's right."

"You lied to us." Andromeda's words were filled with hurt. "You lied to our faces and you watched our friends die. What you did cost them their lives. Nymphadora will never forgive you for that. She doesn't understand."

"Understand what?"

"How the wand fed your anger and your hatred. She never understood the cycle and how it was broken the night Narcissa died. I took your wand, Hermione. When they took you to St Mungo's, I begged them to give it to me and I destroyed it myself. I needed to know it was gone. All the wands are gone. They were broken into several pieces and scattered around the country. Nobody knows exactly where."

"I am not suddenly back to who I was before all of this," Hermione said and flinched when she felt Andromeda's hand on her own. The touch brought back flashbacks and she pulled herself away. "I will never be that girl again. I don't know if I want to."

"Out there lies a world that believed you to be insane," Andromeda said softly. "They believed that the destruction of the Cores drove you to insanity. The loss of Bellatrix and Narcissa broke your heart. They don't know Bellatrix lives. I asked the Ministry to let them believe that she was dead. It was best for everyone but now…." She glanced back out of the window. "Now I'm not so sure."

"You knew she was alive. Why didn't you ever tell anyone?"

"She's my sister."

"You hate her."

"But I loved her once." Andromeda's eyes found Hermione's. "You never stop loving someone." She reached into the pocket of her robe and took out the locket she had shown Hermione the night before. "There were three of these. Bellatrix and Narcissa had one too. I noticed Narcissa and Bellatrix weren't wearing theirs anymore when our paths crossed. They probably believed they could sever the ties of blood that way."

"How did it break?" Hermione asked softly. "The chain, I mean? How come it's broken?"

"Bellatrix ripped it off my neck the night I ran away from home."

Andromeda's eyes became distant as she remembered the night she had walked out of her parents; home. Even now she could still hear Bellatrix's tormented screams in her head. Life had changed since then. She had changed and so had Bellatrix. The war was had started and ended. Lives had been tainted forever. It had been over year since the end of the war, yet here she sat staring at world outside, wondering if it was even real. Looking down at the broken chain in her hand, she knew it had to be.

"Where is she?" Hermione asked softly. "Do you know?"

"No," Andromeda admitted. "All I know is that she's alive. She'll come looking for you."

Hermione's eyes hardened. "Why?"

"Because she belongs with you. Part of her heart does."

"Are you going to spin me another story about the pieces of our hearts crap? What about the part where it says you and I are soul mates?" Hermione slipped out of the window sill and crossed the living room. "It's all a load of bullocks, Andromeda. I made my choice a year ago and I suffered the consequences." She didn't turn around. "We all did. It's time to move on."

"Have you heard yourself?" Andromeda asked and she too slipped out of the window sill. "Move on? Move on to where, Hermione? My daughter walked out on me because I brought you home, because I saw you for what you really were. She hates you and so does everyone else outside this house. How can you talk about moving on? There is nowhere to move on to, Hermione. Not until the world has seen Bellatrix is alive."

"What are you going to do? Kill her?" Hermione snapped. "You know I can't let you do that."

"Why?" Andromeda pleaded. "Why not end this?"

"You answered that question earlier. Because she is a a part of me. Why else do you think her mind found mine? Why else did I hear her voice?!" Hermione whispered. "Heart and soul are two different things. You talk a nice story, Andromeda, but we both know that this is only going to end the way it began. You won't kill Bellatrix and she won't kill you because I'll always be standing in the middle, keeping you apart and bringing you together at the same time."

"Hermione…"

"This was never going to be the way you imagined it," Hermione said and shook her head. "I'm here but am I really? I am still as trapped as before, Andy. A part of me still cries for Bellatrix, for what she gives me when I am near her. I have lived inside the darkness she brings into my life and I crave it like a junkie craves a drug. What do you expect me to do? Stand here and smile and pretend I'm happy? I'm not. I'm destroyed. I've been torn apart and I don't know what to feel."

"I'm sorry." Andromeda's apology echoed with the sound of a heart breaking. "Hermione, I'm so sorry…"

Hermione swallowed. "There are two sides to everything. We chose the side we want to see."

"I have seen you disappear. All that is left is the ghost of you." Andromeda took a step towards Hermione but the younger witch moved away as if burnt by fire. She wrapped her arms around herself and averted her gaze, leaving Andromeda hesitant and confused. "Hermione…" She swallowed. Tears glistened in her eyes. "There is nothing worse in this world than thinking you have a chance when really you don't."

"I'm not saying there isn't a chance," Hermione whispered. "I'm saying that I don't know what to think anymore. I don't know what to feel." Without warning she fell to her knees and cradled her head in her hands. Andromeda dropped to her knees at her side and wrapped her arms around the younger witch before gently pulling Hermione towards her. Softly she kissed the younger woman's head and she held her. "If it wasn't real, if it isn't true, then why could I hold it in my hands? Why could I feel  
it in my heart?"

"Because it was real," Andromeda soothed. "All of it was real."

Hermione looked up. Tears still trickled down her cheeks and she met Andromeda's gaze. "Sometimes I still regret the day I met you. Not that night when you first touched me your cottage and I swore I would forget it ever happened. I mean the time after that, when I looked into your eyes and realized I never wanted to let you go."

"You should rest," Andromeda said softly and helped Hermione to her feet. In the unguarded moment that followed Hermione's lips found hers and Andromeda felt overwhelmed. She answered the kiss, feeling the familiar sensation of love igniting in the pit of her stomach, but then her senses took over and she carefully pushed the younger witch away from her. Their eyes connected and she followed the line of Hermione's jaw with her thumb. The morning sun danced across those hazel eyes.

"We're not who we used to be."

Hermione didn't answer and instead turned away from Andromeda. Without speaking she left the living room and climbed the stairs to the first floor. She returned to the room where she had woken ip earlier that morning and climbed back onto the bed. The mattress was soft and the sheets smelt of vanilla and spring flowers but it did nothing to erase the sadness inside her heart. She was confused. She felt angry and sad and scared, all at the same time.

The past year she' spent living inside her own head, in the safety and madness of her own cell. It had been her sacrifice to Bellatrix, to guarantee her safety. It was all she could have done, what she felt like she needed to do. Bellatrix had given her everything. She awakened something inside herself she didn't even know existed and she still felt that darkness slumbering inside herself. It was like a fire that would either be reduced to a single flame or an all-consuming frenzy.

The loss of Narcissa slowly tore her soul to pieces. She missed her. She missed her more than she had ever missed anyone in her life but it wasn't just Narcissa she mourned. She mourned all of those who had died. They had once been her friends, before her betrayal took over. The guilt weighed heavily. Now that the cores were gone, the fuelled hatred inside of her was too. She knew what had happened and she understood it too. It didn't make it any easier and it would never make things right. She would never be able to make any of it right again. She had destroyed too much, left behind too many scars. The Hermione she had once been was long gone. The Hermione she became still existed but she didn't know what she would become in the future. She was afraid of what she would find if she dared to look.

Downstairs Andromeda had returned to the window sill. Outside the world had come to life. People were on their way to work. She hoped to see her daughter's face among them even though she knew she wouldn't. Nymphadora had finally given up on her. After everything she put her through, her daughter could bear no more and Andromeda didn't even blame her. She couldn't because she knew Nymphadora was right. She had crossed a line, gone too far. She had crossed it long ago but only now did her daughter to see exactly what she had done.

~()~

She stared at the castle on the top of the cliffs. It looked exactly like she remembered. It had been restored to its original glory, after having been destroyed several times throughout the war. It was as if she was looking back at a memory and for a moment she remembered herself walking up the paths along the cliffs, wearing the Slytherin robes with pride. It was where she had to come back to. She had seen the small village at the bottom of the hill. Hogsmeade had been rebuilt too. She'd watched the people go about their business and even recognised the blonde haired barmaid. Rosmerta had clearly survived the injuries inflicted on her in the final battle.

She watched the castle for a little while longer before turning away and making her way down the winding path leading into the forest. She rolled her new wand through her fingers and aimlessly cast curses and hexes at trees, flowers and even an unsuspecting rabbit. When she reached the outskirts of Hogsmeade village she pulled up her hood and carefully walked into the small village square. Nobody paid her any attention. She walked past the Three Broomsticks and peered through the window. Rosmerta was severing Butterbeers to a group of seventh year Hogwarts students. Bellatrix walked on until she reached the other pub in the village. It had belonged to Aberforth, Dumbledore's brother but after the war it had been taken over by another wizard by name of Gideon Danuvius. Bellatrix only knew him by name. He was known to associate with small time criminals.

She pushed against the door of the Hog's Head and stepped into the rather dodgy looking pub. It reeked of goats and sheep and dirty socks and Bellatrix furrowed her brow. The windows were covered in grease and it looked like nobody had bothered to actually tidy the place up for the past year. Cobwebs clung to the ceiling and the dust on the window sill was three inches thick. Her boots stuck to the floor as she walked. There were a handful of people inside. Most of them were whispering softly and paid no attention to the stranger in the hood.

"Drink?" growled the barman.

"I'll pass," Bellatrix answered when she noticed the stain on the inside of the glass. It looked suspiciously like troll snot. She leant against the bar. "I'm looking for Hermione Granger."

"Well you ain't gonna find that crazy lass in here, ya won't," was the answer.

"I didn't ask you where I can't find her, I'm asking where I _can_ find her," Bellatrix sneered. She took out the pouch of money from her pocket and slammed it down on the bar. It clearly got Gideon's attention. He was severely cross-eyed but attempted to look at her anyway. She leant in a little further. "I'm listening."

"Thrown her in the loony bin, they did," Gideon answered. Now that Bellatrix looked at him more closely she noticed most of his teeth were missing. "Ain't right in the head, that one. Crazy like the other two." He slammed the glass he'd been cleaning with the dirty towel down. The creepy stain was still there.

"You're saying they locked her up?" Bellatrix asked.

"Sent her to St Mungo's," Gideon answered. "Threw away the key."

She left the money on the bar and without speaking she turned around and left. She felt Gideon's eyes in her back but didn't turn around to look at him. He hadn't seen her face but he would have recognised her by know if he knew who she was. Bellatrix left the pub and stepped back into the early morning sun. Hermione was in St Mungo's. She should have known they'd lock her up. A smile tugged at her cheeks as Bellatrix turned on the spot and called up the image of the hospital in London.


	5. Revelations

**Author's note:** Thanks for all your comments on the previous chapter. I hope you will all enjoy this one as much. I kept getting distracted as I tried to write this but I made myself finish it. Sit back and relax!

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**Revelations  
**

It was busy in the Ministry of Magic Atrium. Witches and wizards scurried around, making their way to and from the elevators. Andromeda found herself surrounded by dozens of faces she didn't recognise. Every so often someone would speak to her but she didn't stand still long enough to take in their appearance. She was looking for only one person and she had her heart set on finding them so she pushed herself a way through the crowd.

She caught a glimpse of the bubble gum pink hair in the distance and sped up. Her daughter was walking a few metres ahead of her and Andromeda managed to file past a group of witches that were discussing the outcome of a Ministry hearing. She noticed the elevator doors opening and saw how Nymphadora's pace increased to reach it. Her heart pounded in her chest and there was only one option left.

"NYMPHADORA!"

Her daughter turned around and Tonks' eyes widened when she saw her mother break free from the crowd. She glanced back at the elevator, briefly contemplating getting in, but decided against it and waited for Andromeda to reach her. Tonks folded her arms across her chest.

"What are you doing here?" she asked when her mother reached her.

"I need to talk to you."

"This isn't the right place or the right time," Tonks answered dismissively. "Besides, shouldn't you be at home? Merlin knows what she's up to while you're away."

"She isn't doing anything she shouldn't," Andromeda countered and her dark eyes darted around the Atrium. Everyone could hear them. "Do they know?"

"Yes," Tonks answered. "They know she's gone." She swallowed. "I didn't tell them you took her."

"Why?"

"Because you're my mother and I don't want to see you thrown into Azkaban or locked up on Falcon Island."

"Nymphadora, we need to talk about this."

"There's nothing to be said."

Andromeda looked at her daughter in shock. "So this is it, then? You just stand there and tell me you have nothing to say to me. After everything we've been through, you can stand there and tell me that you can't look at me anymore?"

"You broke into a secure mental ward and freed a patient. I don't even _want _to know why!" Tonks hissed. "Hermione's insane, mum! Bonkers!" Her eyes hardened. "She'd make Bellatrix look normal."

The mention of her sister's name sent a shiver down Andromeda's spine and she was confronted, once again, with the lies she had told over the past year. Tonks didn't know that Bellatrix was alive. She didn't know that she was out there somewhere, looking for Hermione. Sooner or later she would find out the truth and Andromeda didn't want to know what her daughter would think of her then.

She heaved a sigh. "It's complicated."

"You're in love with her, I get it," Tonks replied. "I know what it's like. There was a time where I would have done anything for Remus. But what we did, what we went through, was because of what you feel for Hermione and because of your sick, twisted sisters. So excuse me for not jumping for joy when I see a lunatic standing in my living room."

"Hermione's not crazy," Andromeda interjected and she said it with such severity that Tonks' eyes widened. She stared at her mother as if she saw for the first time in all of this and when their gazes locked she recognised the honesty. She also saw the vague hint of pain that Andromeda kept hidden beneath her mask of bravery. She knew it was a weakness that her mother did not want her to know about. Andromeda swallowed. "Hermione isn't crazy, Nymphadora. She pretended to be crazy when she really was perfectly sane…"

"What?!"

"She's not crazy."

Tonks took a step towards her mother and grabbed her arm. She led her away from the lifts and from the people able to overhear their conversation. "You mean she lied?"

"She pretended, there's a difference," Andromeda said sharply. "She did what she had to do."

"To escape prosecution?!" Tonks hissed. "Bloody hell, mum! If the Ministry had known Hermione was actually sane they would have thrown her into Azkaban instead of locking her up in St Mungo's." She paused, trying to come to terms with what her mother had just told her. "She would have been insane by now though." She shook her head in disbelief and ran her fingers through her hair. "Why did she do it? I mean, you told me what she did to herself while she was in there. The scars and the injuries…" A mental image had formed in her head, one that was difficult to erase. "Why did she do it?"

"She must have had her reasons," Andromeda answered.

Tonks' eyes narrowed. "How did you know?"

"The last time I visited, I just…." Andromeda's voice broke and she fought against the tears in her eyes. What she couldn't tell her daughter was how she really knew but she blamed herself for not seeing through Hermione's act sooner. She should have known. She should have seen it. She wondered if perhaps she didn't know Hermione as well as she had always thought.

"We'll talk about this later," Tonks said. She didn't wait for her mother to answer. "I've got to meet with the Minister of Magic and the rest of the Auror department." Where she would normally have placed her hand on her mother's arm in support, she now failed to do so. The look in her eyes was somewhat distant and Andromeda realised that her confession about Hermione had not changed the way he daughter saw her. She watched as Tonks' vanished in the crowd, bleeding in seamlessly with the other witches and wizards in the Atrium.

Andromeda heaved a sigh and started making her way back to the entrance of the building. She stepped outside into the late morning sunshine. She looked around, taking in the scenes of the world around her. It wasn't hard to imagine this part of London burning. She'd seen the flames lighting up the midnight skies. Most of the buildings here were new, rebuilt after the war. Nothing here looked like it had done before the Cores came into power. As she walked she reached the banks of the river Thames and looked out over the water. The Houses of Parliament and Big Ben once again created the London skyline. The Muggles had been quick to rebuild them to their former glory and although not finished, they were almost done. But Andromeda saw what had once stood in their place. Robur Castle. The sign of oppression, of hatred and of evil. She had spent many nights standing by the river looking at it. Nobody knew she snuck out. It was the only place where she could feel close to Hermione even when she had known there was no way they could be together. Things were different now. They had a chance.

~()~

When she came home she found Hermione in the living room. She lay on the sofa, with a blanket draped across her legs. Her head rested on her arm and she looked like she had just woken up. Andromeda couldn't help but smile to herself when she saw those sleep filled eyes looking back at her. She carefully sat down beside the younger witch and waited to see if Hermione would move away. When she didn't she put her hand on Hermione's leg.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm not sure I want to answer that," Hermione slowly sat up. "Did you find her?"

Andromeda nodded. "She didn't want to talk to me."

The younger witch swallowed hard. "Did you tell her?"

"That you pretended to be insane until now?" Andromeda asked. "Yes, I told her. She struggled to believe it."

"Anyone would." Hermione averted her eyes. "She doesn't know about Bellatrix, does she?"

"I couldn't tell her."

"You know she is going to find out sooner or later. When she comes back, Tonks will know you lied to her for the past year."

"I know."

"Are you ready for that?"

"I don't think I'll be ready for whatever comes our way."

Hermione carefully moved closer to Andromeda and her hand caressed the older woman's face. The look in her eye softened and what Andromeda saw was shame, hurt and confusion. She didn't know what was happening inside Hermione's head right now. She didn't know what turmoil had erupted in her heart, the fire that ravaged her soul. Even now, without the wand to feed her anger, another strength was pulling at her, attempting to tear her apart. As long as Bellatrix lived, Hermione would never be truly be free.

"Neither can live whilst the other survives," Andromeda whispered when she felt Hermione's fingers slide under her chin. Their gazes locked. "It was the prophecy about Harry and Voldemort but what if its's not just about them? What if it's about us, about all of this?"

"Us?" Hermione breathed. "What do you mean?"

"You, me and Bellatrix," Andromeda replied. "The last remaining trinity that was never supposed to be. Bellatrix created it, knowing what it would do to all of us. She is waiting for someone to falter, for one of us to lose it all. She knew from the beginning that one day there would be the inevitable choice. She's lookin for you so that this choice can be made. She has made hers and she expects us to make ours." Andromeda's eyes pierced into Hermione's. "She's chosen you and so have I. Questions remains, who will you choose?"

Hermione's lips were unexpectedly soft and she lost every grip on reality that she still had when she felt them. It wasn't until she felt the younger woman's body against her own that her hands began to move and she pulled Hermione closer until she sat on her lap, her legs on either side of Andromeda's body. Andromeda's hands threaded the brown ringlets as she pulled Hermione deeper into the kiss. The kiss grew deeper and more intense and Hermione softly nipped at Andromeda's lower lip.

"Please tell me you have made your choice," Andromeda whispered when the need for oxygen drove them apart. Hermione's slender fingers had started to unbutton her robes, slowly peeling the fabric away from her skin. Her hazel eyes had darkened with lust and Andromeda saw the answer reflect in those dark pools of desire. Her fingers tugged at the hem of Hermione's shirt and pulled it over her head. She looked beyond the scars and bruises and carefully unhooked the simple white laced bra. Her mouth attacked the exposed skin of Hermione's collarbone and her heart melted when she heard Hermione moan softly into her ear.

"I need you," Hermione whispered, pressing her body tighter against Andromeda's. A shiver travelled down her spine when she felt Andromeda's hands caress her breasts. Nipples hardened under the touch. She blindly managed to remove the robes and bra from Andromeda's shoulders, revealing the bare flesh underneath. Warm lips kissed the exposed skin and she circled the pulsating vein on the older woman's neck.

Andromeda let her head fall back against the wall behind the sofa and Hermione continued to kiss her neck. She left behind a large purple bite mark just above the older witch's collarbone. Her mouth moved lower until the tip of her tongue encountered the swollen nipples. Andromeda's grip on her head tightened when Hermione's grazed over the hardened buds and she arched her back in desire. Hermione's hands squeezed and caressed the other breast.

She slid down Andromeda's body onto the floor, peeling the robes further away from her lover's body. She ran her teeth across her bottom lip as she watched the older woman's body respond to her touches. Her fingers ran across the now exposed skin of her thighs and legs. The black laced knickers she wore created a sharp contrast against the pale tones of her skin and Hermione could smell her arousal as she moved closer, the tip of her tongue trailing along the inside of Andromeda's thigh.

"I missed you," Andromeda whispered and looked down to see Hermione hooked her fingers behind the waistband of her underwear. She lifted her pelvis of the sofa so she could pull the lace down her legs. Her pupils dilated in response when Hermione's hands dipped playfully between her legs. She couldn't deny how much she had missed Hermione. Her body gave her away.

Andromeda submitted herself willingly and her eyes closed when Hermione's fingers slid through the pool of wetness between her legs before entering her. She arched her back off the sofa and she whimpered in delight as Hermione brought her mouth close to her core. Incoherent moans fell from her lips when Hermione's tongue flicked over her clit and Andromeda's knuckles turned white as she grabbed a firm hold of the sofa cushions. She pulled her legs up further, allowing Hermione more room, and draped one of them over the younger witch's shoulder.

Andromeda reached her climax fast and without little warning. It was as if her insides just suddenly caught fire and she exploded. Beads of sweat glistened across her body and strands of dark hair clung to her forehead. The back of her throat was dry and her chest rose and fell rapidly. She had cramp in her hands from gripping the sofa and her legs were trembling. It had been a year and Hermione still reduced her down to this.

She was still trembling when Hermione climbed back onto the sofa and placed her legs on either side of the now naked witch's body. Andromeda's hands rested on Hermione's hips and she felt the younger woman grinding softly against her. It stirred something deep down inside of her, something primeval, and her hands lowered down until she cupped Hermione's ass cheeks and pressed her down harder against her waist. She looked up to see Hermione slowly lean in. Their lips found each other in a searing kiss and their tongues fought a battle for control and dominance. Hermione lost.

She reached around Hermione's behind and her hand dipped down between the younger witch's legs. Hermione lifted her body up ever so slightly, never breaking the kiss, and hovered her body over Andromeda's hand. She felt the tips of her fingers at her entrance and slowly lowered herself onto them. She groaned into the kiss when two and then three digits slid deep inside of her, filling her up. She stilled her body for a brief moment, readjusting herself to Andromeda's fingers, and then carefully began to grind against her lover's hand.

Her mouth fell opened as Andromeda continued to thrust between her thighs. She brought her lips back to Andromeda's, desperate to taste her, to feel her in every way she could. Andromeda's free hand grabbed a fistful of hair, keeping Hermione in place as she leant slightly over Andromeda's body. Her body rocked and trembled as Andromeda pumped in and out of her, the rhythm becoming faster and harder as the seconds began to pass.

She cried out her orgasm into Andromeda's neck when she came and wrapped both her arms securely around the other woman's neck. Her body stilled for several moments as the electricity shot through her. Her heart pounded in her chest and she knew Andromeda could feel it too. She couldn't speak, didn't know the words to say that could express how she felt. Their hearts beat together in this moment in time. They were one, right here, right now.

Fifteen minutes later they lay in each other's arms, covered only by the thin fabric of Andromeda's robes and a blanket clumsily draped across their naked bodies. Andromeda's chin rested on Hermione's head as she absentmindedly stroked Hermione's arms. They hadn't spoken a single word but now Hermione broke the silence and turned her head so she could look at Andromeda.

"I missed you too."

Andromeda did not dare to break the spell between them and she merely kissed Hermione's forehead. She pulled her closer to her, not wanting to lose the sensation of her warm skin against her own. She pulled the blanket a little further around them and as her ministrations continued, Hermione drifted off into a quiet slumber.

~()~

When she woke, darkness had fallen outside. Andromeda looked down at Hermione now asleep in her lap and carefully lifted the young woman's head and slipped out from underneath her. She managed to pick up her robes and wrapped them around her naked body before covering Hermione again with the blanket. She padded out of the living room and up the stairs. She took a quick shower and got changed into a pair of jeans and a jumper and walked across the landing to the bedroom where Nymphadora had slept. She didn't expect her daughter to come home tonight. Although she now knew the truth about Hermione's insanity, she knew Nymphadora didn't agree with her.

She sat down on her daughter's bed and reflected on the times they had shared together. Nymphadora had been at her side throughout the war, whether she had believed it to be right or not. Her daughter had witnessed as much grief and had suffered as much loss as she did. Her father had been killed and she had watched her friends die. She'd suffered Hermione's betrayal and she still had found the strength and determination to carry on. But now she was gone and Andromeda couldn't even blame her. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe some things she was supposed go through alone. She had told Nymphadora to leave before this moment, asked her to leave before she lost her life, but her daughter hadn't walked away until now.

As she looked around the room she wasn't aware that somewhere across town a dark shadow moved through the night, closing in on St Mungo's.

~()~

Bellatrix walked across the quiet streets of London towards the hospital. She had only ever been here once, when she had been a little girl, but she knew some people were here because of what she had done. The Longbottoms would never be able to live outside the walls of this building again. A demented smile graced her lips as she memory of that fateful night flooded back into her mind. She eyed up the hospital. To Muggles it looked like an abandoned department store. Now that darkness had fallen, there was no one around, but in the daytime only a handful of Muggles even bothered to look at the derelict building. Someone would mutter their disapproval over the fact that even after several decades no one had bothered to reopen the shop.

She looked around and stepped through the window. Inside the lights were bright and she stood in the hospital reception area. There were people walking around. Some wore robes associated with Healers but most of them looked like patients, waiting to be seen. She readjusted her hood, hiding her raven curls, and strode across the room towards the guide that depicted the lay out of the hospital. It didn't take her long to recognise the closed psychiatric ward. No one paid her any attention as she walked to the elevator and pressed the button.

The doors swung open and she stepped inside, keeping her head down. Her heart hammered in her chest as the doors closed. She reached into the pocket of her cloak and clutched her wand. The seconds seemed to last an eternity as the elevator climbed up higher and eventually reached the fourth floor, which had been named as the Spell Damage Ward. It had a special closed off section for those who could not be treated and were deemed too insane to ever be cured.

The elevator stopped and the doors slid open. Bellatrix faced a long, empty corridor that led to a set of double doors. The lights were less bright than the ones downstairs in reception. She stepped out of the elevator and her dark eyes searched her new surroundings. There was nobody here but her. She increased her pace and eventually reached the door. It was locked and she tapped it a few times with her wand. She peered through the small window and saw a young Healer approach. The door opened only enough for Bellatrix to catch a glimpse of the man's face.

"I'm here to see Hermione Granger," Bellatrix said softly.

His eyes narrowed. "Who can I say is visiting?"

Bellatrix's wand shot up and she poked it into the Healer's chest before he had a chance to slam the door. She pushed against it and forced him with his back against the wall. Her wand shot up to his neck and left behind a blister where it made contact with his flesh. She brought her face close to his and she knew he recognised her voice when she spoke.

"An old friend."

He swallowed hard. Fear was written across his face. Beads of perspiration glistened on his forehead. "This can't be…"

"Well, it is," Bellatrix hissed. "Where is she?! Where is Hermione?!"

"I don't know!" the Healer muttered. Tears now glistened in her eyes.

"WHERE IS SHE?!"

"I don't know," he repeated. "She's not here!"

"Liar!" Bellatrix sneered and moved her wand across his throat in a slicing motion. "They told me she was here. I know she's here!" She brought her face so close to that of the Healer's that he could feel her breath against his skin. "Don't lie to me!"

"She's not here," he insisted. "She escaped!"

Bellatrix gasped. "Escaped?!"

"Vanished."

She stepped away from the Healer and her wand flicked so fast that he never even saw his death coming. The spell was silent and the green jet hit him in the chest. She didn't even stop to watch his body slump down to the floor and turned around, leaving the door to the closed ward open in her wake. Her pace was rapid and uncontrolled. A sense of fear had settled in her chest.

Bellatrix ignored the elevator and made her way down the emergency staircase on the other side of the ward. Somewhere in the distance sounded an alarm. It was a reminder of the door being left open for too long and the patients being unguarded. The sound of her footsteps echoed through the building as she hurried her way down, knowing that soon someone would find the body of the Healer she had killed. Her hood fell down as she reached the last flight of stairs and the door to the reception area flung open, revealing a nervous looking mediwitch. Their gazes locked and she recognised Bellatrix immediately. Her haunting scream carried on through the hospital as Bellatrix fired her Killing Curse and silenced her.

People were running and screaming as they became aware of the young witch falling back into the reception area, dead. Several shouted they had seen Bellatrix Lestrange, a ghost from the past, hurry through the madness and disappear into the night. Most would believe by morning they had been hallucinating but it did not answer the question of who had murdered the Healer and the mediwitch. But some did not forget the glimpse they had caught of the dark haired warrior, her manic cackle lingering on in their ears. Bellatrix Lestrange was back and soon the whole world would know.

Bellatrix vanished into the London night, blending in with the shadows that surrounded her. She didn't stop running until she reached the shores of the river Thames and looked out over the water at the newly constructed buildings. There was nothing left to remind her of what had once been her other than her own memories. She looked at the lights reflecting at the water surface as slowly her racing heart settled in her chest.

"So you found her, sister dear," she whispered to the emptiness around her. "You found her and now I will find you."


	6. Borrowed Time

**Author's note:** I found myself hugely inspired by the movie Les Miserables, which I saw twice in as many days. Helena Bonham Carter was delightfully insane and crazy as always and I loved seeing her. But there was something about the love, the drama and the action as well as the music that really made me want to get on with this story so this chapter is the result of that. I hope everyone enjoys it!

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**Borrowed Time  
**

The loud banging startled her from her sleep and Andromeda sat up with a jolt. She glanced beside her and relieve settled in her chest when she noticed Hermione was still asleep. She was about to settle back down when the sound repeated and she realised someone was outside the front door. She slipped out of bed, grabbed her wand from the bedside table, and rushed down the stairs. It wasn't until she opened the door that she understood that the incantations she had put in place after Hermione's arrival had also locked her daughter out.

Tonks stared at her mother in disbelief. She was panting and anger flickered in her eyes. "You knew, didn't you?"

"Knew what?" Andromeda asked, raising her wand a little higher so she could see her daughter's face.

"You knew that Bellatrix is alive!"

Andromeda blinked a few times and stared at Tonks. "I…" Words failed her. "What happened?"

"Bellatrix found her way into St Mungo's tonight and killed two people trying to find Hermione," Tonks sneered. "What I don't understand is how she could possibly have been there when you told me she was dead!"

Andromeda looked at her only child and saw the world crumble before her eyes. Tonks had finally discovered that her mother had lied to her for the past year. She had protected her sister and told the whole world that she was dead. The hurt in her child's eyes was unlike anything Andromeda had ever seen and when she reached out to touch her, Tonks pulled away as if burnt by fire.

"Don't touch me!" she hissed. "How could you?!"

"I had no choice!" Andromeda pleaded. Tears glistened in her eyes. "After the battle Bellatrix was gone. I knew she couldn't be dead but I didn't understand how she could have escaped. She was too badly injured to have made it out of the ruins on her own."

Tonks' eyes narrowed. "You_ helped_ her?"

"No," spoke a voice from the top of the stairs and the two witched turned around. Hermione had appeared, wearing jeans and a shirt. "I did."

Tonks looked back at her mother in horror. "And you knew, didn't you? You knew there and then that Hermione must have been the one to help Bellatrix and you did nothing! After everything we've been through, after everything that happened, you still chose her!"

"Nymphadora, you don't understand," Andromeda tried but her daughter was about to turn away. She stepped forward and grabbed her arm, forcing her to turn around. Blazing eyes met her own and she fought against the bitter tears. "I believed Bellatrix to be dead that night, even though she wasn't there. It wasn't until I came back home that I realised she wasn't dead."

"How?" Tonks demanded as she pulled herself free from her mother's grip. "How did you know?"

Behind them Hermione continued her descend down the stairs until she reached Andromeda. She looked at Tonks and the Auror found herself confronted with a young woman who looked almost exactly like the girl she had once known. The darkness in Hermione's eyes had gone and although she was still pale, she had regained a little bit of her health. The brown curls cascaded down her back, framing her face in an almost delicate fashion. If she hadn't known, if they hadn't suffered the way they did, she could have been fooled into believing that none of this ever happened.

Andromeda turned to Hermione and found the younger witch clutching the chain. She took it and let it run through her fingers before showing it to her daughter. She held the locket in her open palm and saw the memory return in her daughter's eyes. "You remember me showing you this when you were little?"

"You said it was evil," Tonks whispered as she studied the lines engraved into the locket. "You said that one of these lines was your heart."

"It is," Andromeda said and pointed at the line that had parted from the other two. "This was Narcissa's lifeline. The night of the battle I came home to find it like this. The blood inside was gone. This would only happen if the person the lifeline belonged is dead." She swallowed hard. "Bellatrix's lifeline had lost its blood but the lines had not parted. That's when I knew."

"Why didn't you tell anyone?" Tonks asked. "We could have tried to find her."

"I didn't want you to find her," Andromeda admitted. "She was weak, Nymphadora. She didn't have a wand. She was probably so close to death she could taste it. What harm could she have done? Would you have searched the surface of the earth for her?" She held her daughter's gaze. "My lie allowed you to start over, to focus on rebuilding what was taken from all of us."

"And you protected her in the process," Tonks spat and looked at Hermione. Her hand shot down to her wand when Hermione moved closer but she realised the younger witch was unarmed. "It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who helped Bellatrix escape from the ruins. Who else could it have been?"

"I am not going to deny it," Hermione answered. "The time for lies is past." She glanced at Andromeda, who nodded. "I helped Bellatrix that night because, despite everything, she is a part of me. I was scared and desperate and I wanted to save the one thing that I knew. After that, I knew that if I was arrested they would get the information out of me one way or another. I heard what they did to the others while I was in St Mungo's."

"You deserved every single bit of punishment they would have given you," Tonks said sharply. "Every single last bit."

"It would have meant they could find Bellatrix. I couldn't let them find her." Hermione averted her eyes and searched for Andromeda's head. "My insanity was perhaps played but as the days turned into months I believed I really was going insane. I didn't know whether or not Bellatrix had lived. I played my role but I didn't know if I was protecting her or not. She could have died and I would never have known."

Tonks looked at Hermione from head to toe, disgust lingering in her eyes. "I hope you don't mind if I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth."

Hermione's eyes were emotionless and her voice was flat. "I have died too many times to care anymore."

"So Bellatrix is back?" Andromeda asked, bringing the subject back to the reason her daughter had banged on her door in the middle of the night. "She was in St Mungo's?"

"And she has a wand," Tonks added. "One that she seems comfortable using." Her eyes darkened. "Just before I got here we received news of an old wand maker that was murdered in Ireland. We can only assume that that's where she went to get a wand in the first place."

"She must have tricked him into giving her one. If he knew who she was he would never have done it," Andromeda said and shook her head. "I knew this day would come but I never thought it would be like this. I believed we'd have more time, a warning of some kind, but she is already here…" She turned to Hermione. "And she has already found you."

"She knows Hermione left the hospital so she is out there trying to find her," Tonks said and looked at her mother. "I came here as soon as I heard. The Ministry doesn't know where Hermione is and they don't need to know either but you can't stay here."

Andromeda's eyes found her daughter's crystal blue orbs. "Nymphadora…"

"You're my mother. You may have lost your mind and I don't understand why you did the things you did but you're my mother," Tonks answered and moved towards the door, her wand drawn. "She'll soon found out where you live so we haven't got much time." She turned to look back at Andromeda, determination now spreading across her face. "I have lost everyone else who ever meant something to me. I am not going to lose you too."

"What are we going to do?" Andromeda asked. "There's nowhere else left to go."

"There is one place where you will be safe," Tonks said and her eyes flashed to Hermione. "Both of you." She took a deep breath. "They know you're coming. Take my hand." She reached out to her mother and Andromeda's hand grasped her daughter's. Hermione took Andromeda's hand into her own and the familiar feeling of Apparition welled up from all the way down in her toes. She closed her eyes and lost contact with the ground.

When she opened her eyes again they were standing in a large field. She could hear the distance sound of a river and when she looked over her shoulder she could just about make out the shape of a small bridge against the dark backdrop of the night. The grass underneath her feet was soggy from the rain and Hermione's hand didn't let go of Andromeda's as they silently followed Nymphadora over the hill.

"Where are we?" Andromeda asked.

"Hertfordshire," Tonks answered. "You'll be safe here. At least for a while."

Andromeda froze in her tracks. "Nymphadora, you can't do this. We shouldn't be here."

"They offered, mum. They want you to stay here!" Tonks slowly turned around.

She carried on walking and Andromeda reluctantly followed. She held on to Hermione, who seemed even more reluctant to walk. When they reached the top of the hill Tonks pointed at the meadow below. A single farm stood in the middle of the fields. All the lights were on behind the windows. In the fields surrounding the farm about a dozen sheep and three horses were grazing on the green grass. The animals looked up in curiosity when the late night visitors made their way down the hill. As they approached Hermione also noticed an apple orchard and a chicken coop. She froze in her step just as Tonks hand made contact with the front door and knocked.

The door swung open and Andromeda found herself looking at Molly Weasley. She staggered backwards away from the door, and almost knocked Hermione over. Tonks turned around and grabbed her mother's arm, pulling her back towards the house. Reluctantly Andromeda stepped forward and froze when Molly's arms suddenly flung around her neck and she pulled her closer.

"I can't do this," Andromeda whispered into the red haired witch's ear. "I don't deserve this."

"We all make mistakes, Andy," Molly said softly and looked at the dark haired witch. "You can chose to hold on to what is tearing you apart or you can chose to hold on to what is putting you back together." She stepped aside so that Andromeda could walk into the house and then her eyes found Hermione. For several long minutes they just stared at each other, without a word being spoken. Molly took in the hollow and empty eyes, the bruises skin and the pale complexion. For all she knew she was looking a girl that had been ill one too many times, were it not that she knew what she had done.

"I shouldn't be here," Hermione broke the silence and turned to Tonks. "I appreciate you want to bring your mother to safety but I don't deserve to be here. What I have done to them, to all of you, doesn't warrant this kind of friendliness." She began turning away from the house and started walking back towards the hill, not waiting for anyone to stop her.

She was half way up the hill when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She expected to see Tonks when she turned around but was startled to find Molly Weasley standing behind her.

"You've killed most of my family." The words were laced with bitterness and grief and Molly's brown eyes reflected sorrow of the kind Hermione had never seen before. "You tortured them and made them suffer. Your hunger for power destroyed a world. You watched your friends die, one by one. You looked on as the buildings around you burnt and you paid no attention to the screams and cries for help."

"You let your hatred and your greed get the better of you. What was born that night was a monster and you fed it, knowingly. You lied to your friends and you betrayed every single one of them. When your rule came to an end you spat into our faces one last time and saved the woman who had been at your side. Andromeda protected you. She lied for you, to keep you safe. You mean more to her than her own life. She would sacrifice herself if the moment demanded that of her."

Molly's voice lost some of the bitterness the more she spoke but the darkness in her eyes continued to linger. "You're right when you say you do not deserve our kindness. Many others would have sent you away tonight, left you to rot in the night but Merlin only knows what it is Bellatrix wants with you when she finds you. It won't be anything good, I tell you. So either you come inside with me tonight and shelter from the storm or you stay out here and face whatever comes on your own because I'll be damned if I let Andromeda kill herself for you. The choice is yours."

Hermione shook her head. "I don't have a choice."

Molly looked at the young brunette witch. "You do have a choice, Hermione. The choice has always been yours." Unexpectedly she took Hermione's hand. "What started all of this was a night that changed you, that changed all of our lives. I wish you wold have told me what Ron did but there is nothing either one of us can do about that now. Life is full of events that are beyond our control. What made you do the things you did has been broken. The Cores are no more."

Hermione pulled her hand back. "I don't deserve your forgiveness. I am aware of what I did. I know the Cores fed my anger and my hatred but that darkness lived in me from the very beginning. I don't know how or why but it is part of me, always has been and always will be. I still love Bellatrix." Those words made that Molly's eyes widened. "And I always will."

"Come inside," Molly urged. "The nights are no longer safe."

"They never were."

Hermione reluctantly followed Molly down the hill and eventually stepped into the house. Tonks, who had been standing by the door, locked it behind them and then turned to face the four people sitting at the kitchen table. Arthur Weasley sat next to Andromeda. Hermione had sunk into the chair next to her and Molly completed the group. The older Weasley children had survived the war but none of them lived with their parents. They had chosen to move on, away from England and the memories. From the times long ago, when everything was still right, this was all there was left.

"Bellatrix knows that Hermione is with you," Tonks said and her eyes fixed on her mother. "The Aurors are out looking for her but we all know that Bellatrix is very good at escaping arrest. I don't know how long it will take before we find her but I have every faith that we will. Until then, you must stay here. Molly and Arthur have offered their house to you. We are all Secret Keeper so none of you can disclose its location." Her eyes found Hermione. "Not even the Ministry knows where it is."

"Thank you," Andromeda whispered and she leant across the table, taking Molly's hand. "For everything."

Hermione pushed her chair away from the table and stood up. Without speaking she made her way up the stairs and when she reached the landing she looked around. This wasn't the Burrow. This wasn't a place she recognised. Forlorn she sat down on the top step of the stairs with her back against the wall and brought her knees up to her chest. She cradled her head in her hands and didn't look up when Andromeda made her way up the stairs.

"What are you doing up here?"

"I can't sit down there!" Hermione hissed. "What was Tonks thinking, sending me here? Molly had a right go at me outside, telling me that she knows what I did but that it was the Cores that caused it. I am responsible for my own actions, Andy. I know what I did." She lifted up her head. "I don't regret it."

Those words made Andromeda step back. "You don't regret what you did?"

"Is that what you want me to say?" Hermione asked. She raised her voice. "You want me to fall at your feet and beg for forgiveness, telling you that I didn't know what I was doing? I know what I did. I remember every second of it and I did it knowingly. It wasn't just the Cores. It was me, Andy! A part of me is as rotten and dark as Bellatrix is. There are two sides to me. The one that stands here before you and the one that will fall in love with Bellatrix all over again if she were to look into my eyes."

Andromeda studied Hermione's face, tears glistening in her eyes. "You love her, don't you?"

"As much as I love you."

"How can one person love two others?" Andromeda questioned and stepped away from Hermione. "How is this even possible?"

"Heart and soul," Hermione answered. "My soul found it's missing piece in you but my heart recognised something else in Bellatrix. My life is meant to be this way. Unless death chooses for me, a choice cannot be made. I accepted this a long time ago."

"You know that nothing in this world could make me love you any less?" Andromeda whispered. "I know what lives inside you isn't all evil, Hermione. I have seen the other side." She moved closer to the younger woman and cupped her cheek. "I have seen the light inside of you and I won't let anything or anyone take that light away again."

"Someone once said that only fools fall in love," Hermione whispered. Tears started to trickle down her cheek. "Maybe they were right."

"I don't care," Andromeda breathed and softly kissed Hermione. "I don't care anymore. I am not going to lose you again."

~()~

The house hadn't been too difficult to find. It was a nice Victorian townhouse in the middle of a quiet London street. The magic wards hid it from the view of Muggles but Bellatrix recognised it immediately. The wards weren't that tricky to dismantle and after a few flickers from her wand she walked up the steps to the front door, tapped her wand against the door handle and stepped inside. The hallway was dark and the house was covered in silence. Her footsteps echoed around the house as she walked slowly up the stairs.

Bellatrix opened the first door she found. The bed was neatly made and didn't appear to have been slept in. Her eyes darted around, looking for a sign of anyone living here, but the room was abandoned. She left the door open as she moved on to the next door. It led to the bathroom and she quickly peered behind it but there was nobody there. The third door led to another bedroom and she froze.

The bed had not been made. The sheets had been tossed aside and one of the pillows had fallen to the ground. The curtains were drawn, blocking out the silver glow of the moon. With her wand raised Bellatrix stepped into the room. Dark eyes narrowed as she took in the heap of clothes left behind in the arm chair in the corner. When she picked the items up she recognised one of them immediately. Bringing the jumper up to her nose she inhaled the scent that had once been so familiar to her.

"You were here," she whispered as she clutched the jumper. Slowly she walked towards the bed. Both sides had clearly been slept in. She picked up the fallen pillow and threw it back onto the mattress. Anger flickered in her eyes. "You were here and you slept at her side!"

She aimed her wand at the bed and the flames erupted from the sheets. They began eating away at the fabric and slowly spread across the room, filling it with smoke. She ran from the room as the flames started licking at the ceiling. The rest of the furniture slowly started to smoulder and by the time she reached the bottom step of the stairs, a large part of the upper floor was in flames. Thick, black smoke found its way down towards her and when she opened the front door, letting in the oxygen, the dlames only grew lager.

Bellatrix sprinted down the steps and into the night as her sister's house went up in flames behind her. She watched from the shadows as people emerged from the surrounding houses. None of them seemed to realise they were looking at a house they had never been able to see before. Someone shouted to check if there was anybody inside and a Muggle man attempted to enter the house before three of his neighbours pulled him back. The sound of glass breaking echoed through the night and the orange gloom of the flames illuminated Bellatrix's face. The fire reflected in her eyes and she laughed, her haunting cackle lost as the sound of sirens wailing took over. She had vanished long before the flames died down, leaving behind nothing but the glowing ruins of her sister's home.

"I'll fine you, my love," Bellatrix whispered, still clutching Hermione's jumper. "Even if I have to search every corner of this godforsaken Earth, I swear I will find you and when I do, you and I will be together forever."


	7. Lifeblood

**Author's note:** I am severely struggling with this story. I seem to have lost some of my fantasy and magic writing abilities, which makes it very hard. I spent ages trying to get an update together that felt good enough but I kept failing. This morning I finally produced this and I am relatively satisfied with it. So sorry for the delay but I am finding it really difficult :-/

* * *

**Chapter 7**

**Lifeblood  
**

Hermione stared out of the bedroom window. The room she and Andromeda had been given was small but adequate with a double bed, a wardrobe and a small desk with a chair. Simple cream coloured curtains hung along aside the window and the view was simply stunning. The rolling hills that surrounded the cottage reminded her of the Burrow. The thought had surprised her, even startled her, at first but now she had accepted it. It was almost impossible not to be forced to remember things when spending time with the Weasleys.

She could hear their voices downstairs. Andromeda was talking tp them. She couldn't face being in the same room, even though Molly had been kind to her. Being with them stirred too many emotions, not all of them of the pleasant kind. She couldn't help but seeing Ron's face when she saw his mother's eyes. It had been because of him that life had taken this turn. Because of what he did, what he took away from her. He had released another part of her into the world.

The knowledge that Bellatrix was out there somewhere excited her. She couldn't deny the yearning she felt to just lay eyes on the other woman again. She had missed her with every single broken piece of her heart. When she told Andromeda she loved both of them, she spoke true. It was impossible not to and she knew there could only ever be one answer; only death could choose. Neither can live whilst the other survives had gained a whole new meaning.

Hermione looked up when there was a knock on the door and her head whipped around as it opened before she could answer for whoever it was to come in. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw Molly walk into the bedroom and her eyes instinctively began looking for a way out. The walls seemed to close in on her and panic welled up in her chest. She slipped out of the window sill and pressed herself against the wall, trying to make herself look small.

"Tonks just sent a message saying there was a fire at Andy's place," Molly said softly. "It's been destroyed." Hermione didn't have to say it. Molly already knew. "It was Bellatrix, wasn't it?"

She shook her head. "You don't know that."

"I think we all know it was her."

"Then why ask?" Hermione cocked her head. "What, you think I let her in somehow? Do you think I led her to Andy's house just so she'd burn it?"

"Hermione…" Molly's eyes were big and kind. "I will not try to pretend that I know what the last year has been like for you but…" She couldn't finish the rest of her sentence when she realised Hermione's eyes had darkened. In a flash she saw some of the anger and the hatred she had gotten so used to seeing. The timid girl pressed against the wall seemed to change into a monster before her eyes. The fire still raged within her.

"I knew Bellatrix was alive but I never expected to see her again," Hermione said sharply. "And you can't pretend to know what it was like, because you don't. And you never will! You'll never understand what happened to me." The pulsating vein across her forehead betrayed her anger. "I am what I am because of what your son did to me. I am not the only one who carries the blame for the events that took place."

Molly took a deep breath. "Andy's asked me to try and find your parents."

Hermione blinked. "She did _what_?!"

"She's asked me to try and find them. They were moved with other Muggles when the war broke out. There must be some kind of record of where they were moved to. Andy's asked me to try and find out." Slowly Molly looked up to meet Hermione's eyes. The anger still flickered there but it had been joined by sadness and fear. Suddenly she saw a broken young woman, torn apart by hatred and by love. "She'd like for you to see them again." She tried to smile. "Would you like that?"

"I…" Hermione stammered. "I thought they were dead. I mean, so many died and…" She began pacing the bedroom, her hands pushed into the pockets of her jeans. The image of her parents flooded back into her mind and she froze when she could finally see their faces clearly. It had been a long time since she'd heard their voices. Slowly she turned back to Molly. "I don't know."

"They probably don't know what happened. Well, not the full extent of it," Molly said. "The Ministry managed to Modify a lot of memories before, during and after the war. To most Muggles, it was just a bad dream. Obviously they needed a reason to explain why certain things had changed but most of them have carried on like normal." She took a step towards Hermione but the younger witch backed away, raising her hands in defence. Molly stopped. "There's a chance they don't know."

"You mean that don't know that their daughter singlehandedly killed all her friends and hundreds of other people in a war that was started out of a need to belong and be loved?" Hermione retorted sharply. She rolled her eyes. "Well, isn't that comforting? My parents don't know they raised a monster."

"You're not a monster, "Molly countered and Hermione looked up in surprise. "You're just… broken."

Hermione turned back to the window and watched the shadows of the clouds slide across the rolling hills. "And I can't be fixed."

"I must admit it's hard to believe, or even grasp, that you're standing here. When Tonks first told us that Andy had taken you out of St Mungo's, I believed you both mad. It wasn't until Tonks explained what you had done that I began to understand that perhaps we're all mad. We do what we need to do to protect the ones we love."

Hermione turned slightly. "Even if that includes Bellatrix?"

Molly didn't answer immediately. "We can't help who we love."

"Somehow I can't believe you actually said that to me," Hermione sighed. "You know, I keep looking out into the world and see how it has changed. Such a large part of me doesn't want that world back. The one with all the darkness and the violence. But I miss Narcissa and I miss Bellatrix. A part of me is missing, right here." Her hand covered her heart and tears echoed in her voice. "I miss my friends. I wish I could undo what death has done but I can't. How do you start over in a world that will never ever see you any different than what you used to be?"

"Hermione, what you did is something not many of us can comprehend," Molly said softly. "We've all woken up into a nightmare that knows no end." She swallowed. "Maybe there's something I can do to help…"

Hermione looked up. "Like what?"

"I need for you to trust me," Molly said slowly. "I know it's difficult and I know it's hard. I have to learn to trust you the same way." Dark eyes found Hermione's and she reached out her hand. "There's something I want to show you."

Hermione hesitantly stepped forward and placed her hand in Molly's. The older woman guided her down the stairs and back into the kitchen. It was empty. She walked to the front door and took her wand from the sideboard. She turned around and looked at Hermione one last time. "Remember what I said? I need you to trust me."

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes when she feeling of Apparition welled up just below her bellybutton. The next second she felt the wind in her hair and fresh air in her longs and they vanished.

~()~

Andromeda carefully walked through the ruins of her home. Smoke still lingered and the stench was unbelievable. All the windows had burst and glass littered the floor. Wood snapped under her boots as she walked. She let her fingers dance across the blackened walls. The wallpaper had peeled off and in some places only the concrete was left. She had moved in here not long after the end of the war. It was Tonks' idea. It was an ill attempt at starting over or moving on. These walls had never seen anything or heard anything that was related to the war.

She came to a stop when she reached what had once been the living room. Most of the furniture had been reduced to piles of wood and rubble. Carefully she walked to where the fireplace had been and her eye fell on the photo frame on the mantel piece. It was covered in soot. She wiped the glass and looked down at the picture in her hand. Bellatrix and Narcissa, in their younger form, were smiling back at her. She sat in between them, on her knees in the grass. How times had changed since then. Andromeda's finger trailed across her sister's faces. Hermione had looked at this same picture the night everything changed. She heaved a sigh and slipped it into the small bag she had brought with her. There wasn't much left salvaging here.

Another photodrama had also survived. It showed Ted. He sat with his back against the apple tree in parents; back garden. He bounced a young Nymphadora on her knee. Her hair kept changing colours, like a rainbow, and Andromeda could remember how she had laughed. She picked up the frame and looked at her former husband's face. He'd been one of the first victims in this war and a part of her missed him every day. They had become strangers towards the time he died but once she had cared for him, loved him even. They were never meant to last the way they did. What held them together was Nymphadora. All of that was long gone now.

She managed to walk back into the hall and eyed up the stairs. The wood was badly damaged and she knew it would never hold her weight if she attempted to climb it. She aimed her wand at the top of the stairs and felt a sharp pang of expectation as she whispered the incantation. "Accio Hallows."

When Tonks said the house had been set on fire, she knew Bellatrix had found out where she lived. Her daughter didn't know about the Hallows, or where she kept them, but her first thought was that Bellatrix found them. It was now proven not to the case because the box where she kept the Hallows and other items related to the war came flying down the stairs and landed neatly in her arms. She clutched it to her chest, inhaling the scent of scorched wood and smoke, before sliding it into the bag. She was about to turn around when a soft snapping sound drew her attention. She froze. It sounded like glass breaking.

Andromeda's breath hitched and she whispered a spell to reduce the size of her bag. It fitted perfectly into one of the smallest pockets on her robes and she clutched her wand. She turned around on the tip of her toes, facing the kitchen. That's where the sound had come from. She hadn't seen that part of the house yet. Just as she was about to brush the sound off as a fluke, she heard it again. This time it sounded like muffled footsteps. Someone else was here.

Andromeda carefully stepped away from the stairs and tried to avoid the glass littering the hallway floor as she made her way towards the kitchen. Just as she reached what had once been the door someone grabbed her wrist and yanked her into the room. The next second she was pressed with her back against the wall and stared into Bellatrix's dark eyes.

"I knew you'd come back eventually," she chuckled and let her slender fingers dance across her sister's jawline. "All I had to do was wait."

"It's nice to see you too, Bellatrix," Andromeda said dryly. She looked Bellatrix up and down. She looked dishevelled. Her black curls were a tangled mess and her dress was stained and torn. Her skin was pale, like she hadn't eaten for a day or two. Dark rings surrounded her eyes. "You look madder than ever."

Bellatrix snorted and pressed the tip against Andromeda's neck. "Can't say you look much better, sister dear."

"What do you want?" Andromeda asked. There wasn't a hint of fear in her voice. She knew Bellatrix as well as she knew herself. For all her hatred, she didn't possess the power to kill her. "I heard what you did to those poor people in St Mungo's. Are you going to do the same to me?"

"Where's Hermione?" Bellatrix whispered. She brought her lips close to Andromeda's ear and the unexpectedly soft touch made Andromeda shiver. "You know she belongs with me."

"You think?" Andromeda whispered defiantly. "Says who?"

Bellatrix groaned and dealt an unforgiving backhand. Andromeda's head jolted sideways and she felt the pain spread through her face and neck. She bit down on her tongue to stop herself from wincing and straightened herself back up. She stared back at her sister. She recognised the aggression Bellatrix used to possess. Not only was she back, she was back just as angry as before.

"How did you live?" she wanted to know. "I saw the blood. I know how injured you were. You couldn't have survived on your own for long. Who helped you?"

"Did you really expect me to tell you that?" Bellatrix hissed. "I'm not stupid, Andy."

"I never said you were. You survived out there, you got yourself a wand and you found out where I was."

"Where is she?" Bellatrix demanded, jabbing her wand into Andromeda's neck a little harder. "I swear I'm going to slit your throat if you don't tell me."

"I won't be of any use to you dead," Andromeda chuckled and her hands, which had been hanging down beside her body until now, slowly went up and came to a rest on her sister's hips. It was her turn to lean in, a hint of amusement flashing behind her eyes. "Admit it, Bella, you need me."

Bellatrix's lips unexpectedly captured Andromeda's and the full weight of her body pressed her sister even harder against the wall. Andromeda didn't move. Her hands still on Bellatrix's hips, she stood motionless as she felt Bellatrix's tongue trace her lower lip. Her hands shot up to push her away when the sound of a woman's voice drove them apart. Bellatrix's head snapped around, eyes blazing.

"So this is where you went."

The red haired woman stood in what had once been the back door of the house. The sunlight reflected in her fiery locks and she stared at Bellatrix in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bellatrix demanded as she stepped away from Andromeda and her wand shot up. She walked towards the stranger. She didn't flinch. Andromeda looked on in surprise. Bellatrix came to a stop maybe a foot away from the other woman. The stranger looked at the wand in Bellatrix's hand. She frowned.

"So it is true. You killed the wand maker after he provided you with this. You broke the oath of our clan, Eva."

"I did no such thing," Bellatrix mocked. "I was never part of your clan!"

From the tip of her wand a bright coloured jet erupted but before it could reach the redhaired stranger standing in the kitchen, it had been deflected. Andromeda looked on as the unknown woman raised both her hands and produced a protective shield around herself without the use of a wand. The magic seemed to come from her hands. The bright ball of light floated between her fingers for a second before expanding and bouncing Bellatrix's spell away.

"You know you can't do this," the woman spoke. "Eva, or whoever you are, this isn't what you were supposed to be!"

"How do you know what I was supposed to be?" Bellatrix sneered.

"You never completed the ritual."

"And I never will." She turned on her heel to look at Andromeda. "I guess we go our different ways but we'll meet again." Her eyes darkened and her wand moved from the female strange to her sister. "You can't keep her from me forever. I will find her!"

Before either woman could react Bellatrix had turned around on the spot and Dissaparated, leaving behind the charcoaled house and a deafening silence. Andromeda needed a few seconds to recover and then approached the unknown woman standing in what once had been her kitchen. "You know my sister?"

"She was found by some of my Hunters, not far from our village," the woman answered and extended her hand for Andromeda to shake. "I'm Brighid, High Priestess of the Gealach Clan. But this woman I saw just now is not the woman we saved from death. She no longer is Eva."

"Eva?" Andromeda asked.

"When we found her she did not know her own name," Brighid explained. "In fact, she did not remember anything at all. For the largest period of time she could not remember where she came from or how she had come to be in our forest. She was gravely injured and we healed her wounds. In the daytime she was pleasant but when darkness fell she would change. She suffered horrendous nightmares."

"I think there's something you need to know," Andromeda said slowly. "Would you come with me? There are some people I'd like you to meet."

Brighid nodded and placed her hand on Andromeda's arm for Side-Along Apparition.

~()~

Hermione stared at the gravestones. Flowers lay on the soft soil, creating a coloured contrast against the headstones. Tears silently chased down her cheeks as her eyes lingered on the names engraved in the stone. Luna Lovegood. Fleur Weasley-Delacour. Neville Longbottom. Charlie Weasley. Forever etched in something not even nature could erase. She wiped the tears from her face as she silently stared at the names of those she had once called her friends. They were dead because of her. Because of what she's done.

"They rest here, together," Molly said softly and watched how Hermione's shoulders dropped. "They fought together and they died together. It didn't seem right to separate them."

"Where's Harry?" Hermione asked quietly.

"Back in Godric's Hollow, with his parents," Molly answered. "There would be no other place he would have wanted to be but at their side. I can take you there if you like?"

"Maybe another time," Hermione answered. "Part of me still feels like I shouldn't be here. I did so much wrong, Molly. I don't deserve for you to stand here with me. Looking at this puts into a different light what I have done. What we have done. Bellatrix and Narcissa and me. We changed everything and we took what we believed was ours. I wish I could at least undo some of it but I can't. That will be my burden to carry until the day I meet my old friends face to face."

"Stay here as long as you like," Molly said and started walking back towards the gate surrounding the small cemetery. "You know your way back home."

"I don't think I can stay," Hermione said softly and turned around. "I don't deserve to be here."

Molly didn't argue and instead waited for Hermione to catch up with her. Together they left the cemetery and before they Dissapparated Hermione looked back over her shoulder. The gravestones stood in a perfect line, adorned with flowers from those who missed their loved ones. A sharp pang of guilt welled up in her chest. She had not experienced guilt for a long time. Could something as cruel and heartless as what she had done ever be changed? Could there be forgiveness for the wicked or were they forever doomed to be alone?

When they arrived back at the cottage and walked into the kitchen they found they weren't alone. Arthur, Andromeda and an unknown woman sat at the kitchen table and the three of them looked up. Hermione's eyes were immediately drawn to the stranger and the woman stared back at her with the same curiosity. The atmosphere within the room shifted as they stared at each other and Andromeda noticed the intensity in Hermione's eyes.

"Hermione, this is Brighid," she said slowly. "She has something to say and I think you should hear it,"

"It's yiu," Brighid said slowly. "It is because of you she awoke and because of you she returned."

"What?" Hermione breathed. "How do you…"

Brighid slowly stood up and circled the table. Her eyes found Hermione's and she spoke with a low, deep voice. "Only the Flames of Destiny can help you now, child. Unless your choice is made through fire, all will surely die..."


	8. The Shadow Light

**Author's note: **Sorry for the delay, folks. As I have said before, my muse comes and goes with this story (and it seems to go more than it comes, I'm afraid). I hope you guys will forgive me.

* * *

**Chapter 8**

**The Shadow Light**

"What are the Flames of Destiny?" Andromeda asked, her voice laced with a hint of fear. She looked at Brighid. Since coming back to the Weasley home the red haired woman had filled her in on how she knew Bellatrix but what she hadn't explained was how she came to possess magic. It seemed to be natural, and controlled without a wand. She had never seen anything like it before.

"It is a trial of purity created by my people many moons ago," Brighid explained. "A long time ago, when the ages were still dark, we often did not know whom to trust or where a person's true allegiance lies. Even if they were born into the side of Light, it did not always mean their heart was light too. The Flames will reveal what lies within a person's soul. Only fire can erase all layers and unmask what is hidden from sight."

Hermione clenched her jaw. "If you expect me to walk through fire, you have another thing coming."

"The Flames do not burn, my child," Brighid said softly and the expression on Hermione's face softened. Knowing that Bellatrix was back and looking for her stirred something deep inside her. A sense of longing mixed with fear. A part of her wished to see those charcoal eyes and feel those hands but at the same time her soul had finally began to settle in the light. Forgiveness wasn't something she expected but she'd been given respect and understanding. "The Flames merely cleanse."

"Cleanse?" Andromeda asked. "You mean like a purification?" Her brown eyes found Hermione's and the younger witch could see the sudden glimmer of hope.

"If a person has committed a crime the Flames cannot erase those crimes," Brighid answers. "But it will reveal if they were committed out of error or belief and if committed out of error, the Flames will heal the scars left behind and offer forgiveness. If committed out of belief, and if the soul is found to belong to Darkness instead of Light, then the Flames will cast them out."

"Cast them out in what way?" Molly wanted to know.

"In the Old days, the person would be banished and in most cases hunted because it was believed that they would turn to Darkness eventually," Brighid said softly. "These days they are imprisoned within the boundaries of a clan, never to leave the holy grounds on which they were born. There is less evil in this world than before but…" She fixed her gaze on Hermione. "Evil never really dies."

Hermione sank down on the chair next to Andromeda and cradled her head in her hands. SHe was tired. She was tired of being torn apart. Wherever she went or looked, people looked at ger in suspicion and fear. She did not blame them but to see that same fear in Andromeda's eyes, hurt her deeply. She knew she had broken everything she once held dear. The world had crumbled before her eyes and the ashes had blown away in the wind. Gone was what she had known. All that lived now was the nightmare she'd brought upon them all.

Arthur had been listening in silence but now he leant across the kitchen table. Hermione watched him. He had aged a lot. The lines across his face told the silent tales of sorrow and suffering. Every single wrinkle express the grief. Grief she'd been responsible for. "How does your magic work?"

"My ancestors were born deep within the forests of Ireland," Brighid explained. "In the times of Kings we lived sheltered away. Muggles frowned upon Magic and feared it, like they feared the wrath of their own God. But as times changed, Kings came to rely on wizards and witches within their castles. But our form of magic was never as accepted. We practice a combination of what you would call Wicca, Druidism and natural magic. Everything revolves around the world around us. Earth, wind, fire and water is what we rely on. The sun and the moon are our guides. We do not build schools but treasure and nurse what is given to us from the Earth."

Hermione stood up without speaking and her chair fell over. The sound echoed around the silent kitchen and her eyes darted around the table. She knew those reactions. Things would never change. A glimpse of fear flickering behind their eyes. She shook her head and walked out of the kitchen and into the world outside. The grass was damp beneath her feet. It had started to rain and the drops were sliding across her face. The skies were grey and packed with clouds and the wind picked up now that she was outside. She walked until she reached the field where the Weasley's kept their horses.

There were four. Three mares and a stallion. The three mares were various shades of brown, and one had white marks across her head, but the stallion was as black as the night itself. He lifted up his head when he noticed Hermione standing by the fence and curiously walked towards her. By now her hair was sticking to her forehead and her clothes were drenched. The weather felt like it had once done in a different time, when she still knew the world around her; when she had still been strong and in control. Now she was nothing.

The stallion reached her and nudged her arm with its nose. Hermione instinctively scratched him behind his ears and he neighed softly. Without really thinking about what she was doing Hermione walked along the fence until she reached the gate, opened it and walked into the field. The stallion had followed her and now studied her with interest. She had never learnt to ride a horse but somehow the feeling came natural. It was natural was there was no saddle or reigns. When the stallion didn't flincg as she came nearer, Hermione patted him on the flank. She grabbed to fistfuls of manes and managed to climb onto his back. He stood still, as if to allow her to get comfortable, before walking back to the gate. As she guided him through it, she heard a voice calling in the rain.

"Hermione! WAIT!"

She looked over her shoulder to find Andromeda walking towards the field. She took a deep breath, planted her heels into the horse's flanks and spurred him on. He went straight into a gallop and almost seemed to fly over the wet hills. The wind pulled at her hair and the further away they went, the more confident Hermione became. She lifted herself up so she could look ahead instead of pressing herself down against the horse's neck. The stallion breathed heavily and Hermione felt her own blood rush through her head. She couldn't remember ever feeling this free before in her life.

They rode through the pouring rain, over the rolling hills, through the outskirts of a forest and past a small country village. She didn't feel the cold or the wind. Her fingers relaxed, easing their grip on the manes, and it was surprisingly easy keeping her balance without a saddle. It was as if the horse new his rider had never really been on a horse before.

After a while the pace slowed down and in the distance Hermione saw the small stream that cut through the landscape. She guided the horse in that direction and it eagerly lapped up some of the cool water when they reached the stream. Hermione slipped off his back and looked around. There wasn't a soul in sight as far as she could see. There were just the hills and the trees, the grass and the river. Just as she was about to climb back onto the horse, she noticed the small dot on the horizon coming closer. It grew bigger and she realised it was another rider.

"Come on," she whispered to the horse as she climbed back on his back. "We've got to get out of here."

He seemed to understand and without much guidance from Hermione he took her into the woods. She managed to avoid low hanging branches and tree stumps as they made their way along. When she looked over her shoulder she realised that the figure she'd seen was starting to close in. They has reached the outskirts of the forest and were now cutting their way through, clearly at a faster pace and more skilled than she was. Her heart pounded in her chest as she leant across the horse's neck in an attempt to speed up and avoid hitting her head.

"Hermione!" a woman's voice was carried on by the wind and when it reached her ears she recognised it as Andromeda's. It was enough to make her look over her shoulder and she recognised the rider now. It was Andromeda, riding one of the three mares she's seen in the field. She had reigns but no saddle but seemed more skilled and balanced than Hermione was and she closed in. A few minutes later she was riding alongside Hermione.

"What the hell were you thinking?" she asked as she studied Hermione's face. It was red raw from the rain and the wind. Hermione's brown hair whipped around her head.

"Molly told me you want her to find my parents," Hermione said. "You really think that' going to change anything?"

"Hermione, they're your parents. They're Muggles. They won't know what happened!"

"You think? You think they won't understand that what happened within our world had something to do with me? They're going to ask where my friends are, Andy. And somebody somewhere will tell them that it was me who killed them all!" Hermione shouted. "I understand what you're trying to do but it isn't going to change anything. You can't undo what was undone." She paused. "You're never going to get the old Hermione back, the Hermione you fell in love with. She's gone and she is never coming back."

Before she could move out of the way. Andromeda had grabbed hold of the stallion's manes and slowly she eased both horses to a halt. Her eyes found Hermione's. "I know that, Hermione. But don't you see what happened today?"

"Bellatrix came back and tried to destroy everything all over again and I can't say I blame her," Hermione said. "You know she is never going to stop looking for me. As long as I'm with you, you're going to be in danger. She wants a part of me, the part of me that belongs with her. She is never going to give up."

"Don't you see?" Andromeda whispered. "Brighid has the answer, Hermione. After all this time there is finally something that can tell you who you really are."

"The Flames?" Hermione questioned. "You really believe that stuff?"

"I have to," Andromeda replied. "Because it's all we have left."

"And the Hallows," Hermione said softly. "You have the Deathly Hallows."

Andromeda's eyes widened. "When did you learn about the Hallows? How long have you known about them all?"

"When I learnt about the Elder Wand I remembered the Tale of the Three Brothers. The Elder Wand, the Resurrection Stone and the Invisibility Cloak together make the Deathly Hallows and makes one the Master of Death. One of the Hallows was in front of me for years and I didn't even know it. But you found them, didn't you? It's why you went back to the house after Bellatrix destroyed it. You were worried she'd found them." Hermione's eyes trailed over Andromeda's face. She was so like Bellatrix and yet they were worlds apart. "You have them, I know you do."

"They will proof useless," Andromeda said softly. "There is nothing the Elder Wand can do that will show us where your heart and soul lie, Hermione. It cannot test the light or darkness within you, nor can the stone or the cloak. Only the Flames can reveal who you really are and what you were meant to be." Her eyes found Hermione's and she held her gaze. "Don't you want to know, once and for all?"

"Do you?" Hermione asked softly. Suddenly her eyes swam with tears. "Knowing the truth might mean you discover I was never meant to be with you. What if the Flames show the darkness within me is what I am destined to become?" Her voice broke. "You'd lose me. Forever. Is that the sacrifice you are willing to make?"

Andromeda swallowed hard. "I was always going to need you more than you'll ever need me, Hermione. I made that bargain long ago. I promised you I'd do whatever it takes and if the Flames reveal that your soul isn't mine to keep then I have no choice but to let you go. If your heart truly is Bellatrix's then the Flames will reveal her to you."

Hermione looked around. They were in a forest she didn't know. It had stopped raining but the wind picked up. Suddenly she realised she was shivering. Her hands were cold. Her teeth clattered as she spoke. "What if I don't want to know the truth?"

"I was once told that the truth will set you free, in whatever way," Andromeda whispered. "Maybe you just need a little help."

Hermione nodded. She was tired and cold. "Ok."

"Brighid is waiting for us back at the house," Andromeda said. "She said that she'll wait for you to be ready. Perhaps it is best if we wait till morning."

"No," Hermione answered firmly. "I want to have it done today."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I need to know." Her eyes found Andromeda's. "And so do you."

They rode back in silence. It took them about an hour and it was only when she realised how much time had passed that Hermione began to understand how far she'd actually gotten away. She'd planned not to come back. To just leave and start over in a place where nobody knew her, in another country and maybe in another time. But she was back now because she couldn't leave the things as unfinished as they were. She deserved an answer and she knew Andromeda deserved one too. In some way, even Bellatrix deserved to know. There were three hearts at stake today and one of them would be left behind alone.

"Do you know where my parents are?" Hermione asked unexpectedly as she and Andromeda guided the two horses to their stables. The question made Andromeda stop in her tracks and slowly she turned around. "You do, don't you?"

"They kept accurate records of the Muggles that were transferred throughout the War," Andromeda said softly. "Do you remember what you did to your parents before everything began?"

"I Modified their memories," Hermione said quietly. "They were supposed to go to Australia that same week."

"They didn't," Andromeda answered as she closed the stable door and locked it. She walked over to Hermione and slipped two fingers under the younger witch's chin so she could look her in the eye. When she saw the sudden fear she quickly added, "They waited. I don't think they knew what they were waiting for but they didn't leave when they were supposed to. In the end they were moved with another large group of Muggles and ended up in Australia after all."

"Can you find them?" Hermione whispered. "Are they alive?"

"Tonks is working with the Ministry to track them down. It could take a few days but I'm sure we'll find them. Once we know where they are Molly will go to Australia to fix their memories and prepare them for their return," Andromeda said and leant in. She softly kissed Hermione on her lips and the young brunette wrapped her arms around the older woman's neck. As her eyes closed the two faces, Bellatrix's and Andromeda's, blurred together and she just held on to both of them.

"Should we bring them back if the Flames show I am not supposed to be with you?" Hermione breathed and rested her forehead against Andromeda's. "Do they really need to know that their daughter was born into Darkness instead of Light? Can we really do this to them? Do they need to know what I am, what I have done? They won't know. They don't know what I am."

"We'll find a way," Andromeda promised and took Hermione's hands into her own. "Come, it's getting cold. We should go inside. Brighid is waiting."

Together they walked back into the cottage. It was nice, cosy and warm inside and Hermione smelt the familiar scent of Molly Weasley's fresh onion soup. Only now did she realise that she was hungry and her stomach growled in a rather unflattering way. Molly stood by the stove but turned around when she heard Andromeda and Hermione come in. Her eyes flashed to Andromeda's face and she swallowed her usual tirade of expressing how worried she'd been. As she looked at Hermione she was painfully reminded of the similarities between today and the night Hermione had first ran away from the Burrow. When the young witch met her gaze she knew Hermione felt it too.

"Arthur and Brighid are in the living room," she said. "Dinner won't be long."

Andromeda and Hermione walked into the living room. The fire was on and the room was illuminated by the orange glow from the flames. Hermione chose the chair nearest to the fire so the heat could dry her clothes and warm her body. She didn't have a wand to help herself and it was only now that she realised how helpless that made her feel. It was as if Andromeda read her mind.

"We can try and find you a wand, if you want."

"Maybe we should wait until the Flames have done their work," Hermione said softly and stared into the dancing flames in the fireplace. "You wouldn't want to give me something that can do more harm than good."

Ten minutes later Molly called for dinner and they all sat around the table in silence as they ate. Hermione could feel Brighid's eyes on her and whenever she looked up she found the redhead looking at her. It didn't make her uncomfortable but it felt like Brighid was trying to read her, in a way one would try to read a book. It felt as she could see through her. When she has finally finished her bowl and eaten the fresh bread that came with it, the candles on the table had burnt down about half their lengths. Outside darkness had fallen and the rain was once again lashing against the windows.

"What do we do now?" Hermione asked once the table was cleared.

"The Flames can only do their work outside," Brighid answered. Her eyes drifted to the window. "The moon is full. We will find our answers tonight."

She stood up from the table and started for the door. The others followed and they all stepped out ibto the night and into the rain. Andromeda linked her hand with Hermione's as they followed Brighid out into the open fields. The nature witch walked a little bit ahead of them and suddenly she came to a halt. She turned around and beckoned for Hermione to come closer. Tentatively she walked over until she stood next to Brighid. The redhead took a handful of something that looked like sand out of the pocket of her robe and used it to draw a circle around Hermione.

"You must not break this bond that has been created with Earth," Brighid spoke. She held Hermione's gaze. "You'll see things and hear things you may not understand but it is most important that you remain where you are. Surrender yourself and let yourself be submerged. It is the only way."

Brighid brought her hands together to form a cup and from where she stood Andromeda looked on. What was about to happen could give her everything she wanted or take it away for good. She didn't want to consider that this ritual could finally uncover that Hermione didn't belong with her. She had to hope that her soul and her heart were full of Light, instead of Darkness. She didn't have anything else left to cling onto but this and she wasn't willing to let go.

A single flame suddenly floated in the palm of Brighid's hand. Andromeda's eyes widened. She had never seen any witch or wizard create fire without the use of a wand. When she looked more closely she noticed the flame was a shade of burgundy red, unlike normal fire. It seemed as if someone had painted it with blood. Brighid took a step towards Hermione and a soft singsong voice filled Andromeda's ears. She didn't know the words but recognised the language as Gaelic. Brighid sang with a soft, somewhat deep voice as she reached Hermione, raised her hands up to the full moon as her chanting reached its peak and then she opened her hands. The single flame, sprung from her palms, landed on the sand that surrounded Hermione and it instantly erupted, forming a circle of fire around her.

Hermione stared into the dancing flames. They had no heat. She did not feel it's burn. They climbed higher and higher, until they were so high they almost touched the skies. Through the flames she could make out the vague shapes of Andromeda, Molly and Arthur and to her left was Brighid. She looked down and realised to her shock that her feet were now engulfed in flames. Slowly they crept up along her legs towards her thighs and she subconsciously spread out her arms, as if she were about to fly, and the flames climbed up higher until they reached her face.

Suddenly she was back at the beginning. The very night where she lay on the sofa in the Burrow, her eyes fixed on the fire. Then Ron was there. On top of her, inside of her. Then Bellatrix, her body unexpectedly warm. The rush of excitement and adrenaline as she cursed her and watched her fall down to the ground. The wedding and more flames that surrounded her. A single hand that found her own, a way out from everything she had ever known and into a world she could destroy and rebuild. Three wands floating in the air for the very first time, having found each other at least. A union only death could break.

Narcissa, her eyes as blue as the skies on a summer day but yet as cold as ice. Bellatrix, her lips softer than anything she had ever tasted in her life but her riddled with poison. A single heartbeat, echoing in her ears as their wands came together to form a power greater than the world had ever known. The empty eyes of her friends, their bodies lifeless at her feet and their faces floating before her. Images from the past as they laughed together, cried and joked. Hogwarts and Minerva, a home away from the one she had one known. A life so different from the one she was leading now. Battle scars, burning across glowing skin. Ginny, begging for her life. Ron, falling dead at her feet. Harry, lost and forever taken. A world alive only in flames, torn apart and destroyed amidst the darkness. A row of gravestones, names dug out of stone as a final reminder of what had been but could not last. The broken necklace, void of Narcissa's lifeblood but Bellatrix's line that still signalled life. One heartbeat out of three that faded into the distance, forever gone. Two that remained and slowly parted. One had been her own but now changed into that of another. Two faces. So similar and yet so far apart.

Andromeda heard a high pitched cry and tried to run forward but Molly's arms closed around her waist, pulling her back. "Brighid said Hermione has to do this on her own. You cannot help."

The Flames of Destiny that surrounded Hermione changed from burgundy red to pearl white and Andromeda could swear she heard screaming and distant voices. For a second she believed she had actually seen Harry's face but when she blinked it was gone. Slowly the white became see-through and she could see Hermione on her knees. Hollow eyes looked up as the flames slowly subsided, fading until only a layer of ash remained on the grass.

Brighid stepped forward without entering the circle and inspected the marks left in the field. Andromeda could see how the flames had burnt away all the grass, leaving it blackened. She carefully approached but didn't come too close. Molly and Arthur stayed back and looked on. When Andromeda reached Brighid she saw how the red haired witch fell to her knees and let her fingers trail through the ashes.

"Her soul has been revealed," she whispered as she looked up at Andromeda. "She knows where she belongs and she knows she cannot go back. This is the end."

"Hermione?" Andromeda whispered softly. "Hermione, talk to me."

Hermione looked up, her face stained with tears. She looked fragile and broken. It was as if something inside of her had been taken away. "We have to find Bellatrix," she whispered and stared down into her hands. "There is no other way."


	9. Nightshade

**Author's note: **I finished another chapter yesterday, so it's your lucky day today, folks!

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**Nightshade**

Andromeda had been standing outside the door to the room she and Hermione shared for the last fifteen minutes. Every time she went to raise her hand to knock, she dropped it again. Something was holding her back. Perhaps it was the look she'd seen in Hermione's eyes. In the few seconds they had looked at each other outside, mere moments after the Flames of Destiny had died; she'd recognised the part of Hermione she had believed was gone only to discover the darkness still lived inside of her. She'd seen it, it flickered in her eyes. So now she stood here, torn apart by her own feelings, wondering if she should go inside. Hermione had run off after saying they needed to find Bellatrix and Andromeda wasn't sure if she wanted to know what this meant.

She took a deep breath and rapped her fingers against the wood. Her heart pounded in her chest and she listened for the sound of footsteps on the other side of the door but there was only silence. She knocked again, a little louder this time, but still there was no answer. She turned the doorknob, the metal cold against the palm of her hand, and opened the door. The room was dark apart from a single oil lamp burning on the bedside table. The curtains were open, inviting in a thin beam of silvery moonlight that fell across the floor. Raindrops slid down the darkened glass.

"Hermione?" Andromeda asked as she stepped into the room. Her eyes darted to the bed. It was neatly made and hadn't been slept in. She frowned. The room was empty. The unsettling feeling she'd experienced outside the room only grew stronger and was replaced by panic when she realised Hermione really wasn't here. Her mind flashed back to the night at the Burrow where Hermione had left a note saying she needed to finish what she had started. She'd gone to Malfoy Manor and that night everything had changed and her betrayal had become known.

She walked around the empty room and it wasn't until she reached the window that she realised it wasn't fully shut. It was open just a crack and she pushed against it. It gave way without any problems and she peered out into the dark night. The drop wasn't very high and Hermione could easily have climbed down. Andromeda pushed herself away from the window sill and ran down the stairs. The sound of her thundering footsteps alarmed everyone before she'd even reached them.

"What happened?" Molly asked when Andromeda rushed into the kitchen.

"She's gone," Andromeda breathed and her brown eyes widened in fear. "Hermione's gone."

Molly almost dropped the mug of tea she held in her hand. "What?!"

"She did this before," Andromeda sighed and looked at Brighid, who seemed worried. "She snuck out in the night and back then we thought she'd gone to try and safe whatever was left when really she joined sides with Bellatrix and Narcissa. That's when we found out." She shook her head and ran her hands through her hair. "What are the chances she's gone back to Bellatrix?"

"She doesn't know where Bellatrix is," Arthur reminded her. "Nobody does."

"They'll find each other soon enough," Andromeda said sharply. "Bellatrix knows she's out there and now that Hermione's on her own, it's only easier for her to find her." Her eyes found Brighid's. "Do you have any idea what Hermione saw in the Flames? Do you know the answer?"

"She will have seen her past and her future," Brighid said softly. "The fact that she's gone looking for Bellatrix doesn't mean that Bellatrix is her future."

"She loves her," Andromeda said. "Unless the flames said differently, Bellatrix will always be her future."

"Everyone handles what they see differently," Brighid answered and stood up from the table. "But there is hope for Hermione still, Andromeda. She may have seen that she belongs to the Light and perhaps she has gone to eradicate the Darkness from her life."

"Hermione would never be able to kill Bellatrix," Andromeda replied. "Throughout all of this she was never able to kill me, no matter how badly she sometimes wanted to. Whatever feelings she has, they are genuine up to the point that she cannot kill me. I doubt she can kill Bellatrix; even the Flames were to tell her that she should. She can't kill something that is so very much a part of her. She'd rather die herself…"

The words echoed around the kitchen and slowly faded, leaving behind only silence. They haunted her and the fear in her chest only grew. Suddenly there were tears in her eyes and Andromeda swallowed hard. She didn't want to entertain the thought but it was there, in the back of her mind. She'd considered it very briefly before, not long after she had freed Hermione from St Mungo's. She didn't want to think that the young witch could do such a thing but she had to now admit that the chance existed. "Oh God…"

"Hermione's a wanted fugitive, just like Bellatrix," Molly said. "The Ministry considers her a danger and I don't think they're wrong. I know she's changed but only because Bellatrix wasn't there to fuel her hatred and anger. If those two are to find each other, they will drag each other into another spiral of violence and torture. What kind of love is that?"

"It isn't love, its devotion," Andromeda said softly. "For all of Bellatrix's flaws, I do believe she actually loved Hermione. It isn't the same kind of love I feel but it doesn't make it any less real. We have to keep that in mind if we want to find Hermione and she has gone back to her. They were brought together in the heat of the moment and the power they shared was intense. They'll want that back, even if Hermione seems to have changed. She remembers what it was like. She can still feel it. Nothing changes that. If she and Bellatrix find each other, the world is in for another experience from hell."

Arthur stood up too and walked around the table. "But Hermione has no wand."

"Neither did Bellatrix until she found a wand maker who gave her one and she ended up killing him," Andromeda reminded him. "We can't say if Hermione has a wand or not…" She took a deep breath. "Molly, I'll leave tonight. I'll go back to London. It's where I last saw Bellatrix and it's the only place Hermione knows Bellatrix has been. It's a long shot but I have to start somewhere. I need you to try and find Hermione's parents and bring them back to England as soon as possible."

"I'd planned to leave first thing in the morning but I'm not wasting any more hours," Molly said determinedly and pointed at a small backpack in the corner of the room. "I'm ready to go." She then looked at her husband and smiled. "We both are."

"Good," Andromeda answered and turned to Brighid. The red haired witch had already put on her cloak and Andromeda smiled when she saw the hint of excitement flash through her eyes. She knew that feeling; that feeling when things were about to change. "Would you mind coming with me? I'd like to hear more about Bellatrix's time with you. You may be able to help me and besides, two smart witches are better than one."

They said their goodbyes and parted ways. Molly and Arthur took each other's hand and Apparated out of the kitchen after Molly had flicked her wand and switched off all the lights. The cottage was suddenly covered in darkness. Andromeda gave Brighid her hand and turned on the spot, calling up the image of the Ministry of Magic in her mind before they vanished.

~()~

The streets of London were wet, the surfaces glistening in the yellow glow of the streetlamps. Shadows scurried in darkened alleyways, their heads bent against the rain and wind. Some were on their way home; others had already made up their beds for the night behind a rubbish bin. But it wasn't just the Muggles that roamed these streets at night and those who knew the shadows well, knew where to go. They were the figures in the dark cloaks, their hoods obscuring their faces. They were the ones who'd gotten away from the claws of the Ministry, avoiding prosecution after the war because they had outsmarted the system. They would not be trapped within the walls of Azkaban Prison or Falcon Island.

Hermione readjusted the hood of her jumper and pushed her hands deeper into the pockets of her jeans. She'd gotten changed as soon as she reached the bedroom. It had been so easy to open the window and climb out into the night. The muddy soil below the window muffled the sound of her feet hitting the floor and the rain washed away her footprints mere seconds after she had left. She'd run over the hills until she could no longer see the cottage behind her and kept running until she reached the small village behind the bridge that crossed the small stream.

Molly had mentioned that there was a Wizarding community within the village, just like there had been not far from the Burrow, and it didn't take her long to find the local pub. Wizards were easy to recognise. They looked different from anyone else and somehow they never drank the local ales, preferring simple water instead. Nothing tasted as good as Butterbeer but it was impossible to come by in a Muggle pub. The old wizard sitting in the corner, half asleep behind the evening newspaper, had barely noticed her approaching. When he looked up she was already standing by his table. His wand had been tucked into the pocket of his jacket and it only took one very quick movement, and a misguided smile, to take it. Never had anything in life been so simple. He wouldn't be able to tell a living soul. The three other occupants in the pub, including the old man, had all been stunned. Soon their bodies would be discovered by some unsuspecting traveller looking for a place to sleep and quench his thirst but she was long gone.

Hermione rolled the wand through her hands. It felt unfamiliar and didn't quite suit her but it performed the magic she needed it to. It had brought her to London and now she was here, a mere half a mile from the place where Robur Castle had once stood on the banks of the river Thames. Seeing the rebuilt houses of Parliament, still not quite finished, now gracing the London skyline once more angered and frustrated her. The world no longer was what it had once been.

She turned into a dark side alley and once she'd made sure there wasn't anybody else but a couple of rats, she drew her wand and aimed it. The spell rolled of her lips with ease and the silver glow illuminated her face. "Expecto Patronum."

The small otter leapt from the tip of her wand and jumped around her legs for a couple of seconds before coming to a halt. She kneeled down to the ground and softly whispered the instructions before the animal ran off into the darkness, eventually fading in the shadows of the night. She watched its light grow weaker in the distance, her heart pounding louder with every passing minute. She knew it would come back to her eventually and it would bring her what she needed.

She paced through the alley after having transformed her hooded top into a cloak. The black material obscured her slender frame and allowed her to blend into the dark. A few simple spells altered the appearance of the clothing she wore underneath, changing her jeans to leather trousers and the tank top she'd worn underneath her hoodie into a long sleeved black shirt. The material sat tightly around her skin as a reminder, a memory.

The last time she'd seen Bellatrix was the night they were broken apart but the last time she'd heard her voice was in her cell in St Mungo's. She remembered the whispers. She'd told Bellatrix to get out of her head, how she had no right to be there, when in fact the soft whisper had sparked a fire inside her heart. She'd kept her alive. She'd sacrificed everything to safe her, including her own sanity. She didn't know how badly she still longed for her until she could hear her again. When the Flames of Destiny had shown her face, she knew she had no choice but to come looking for her. This journey wasn't over. There was still one last path to travel, one last road to take.

A faint pop made her spin around on her heel and she squinted as from the shadows a lone figure emerged, wrapped up in a dark cloak. The weak light of the moon wasn't enough to light up their face and Hermione slowly raised her stolen wand as the stranger approached. It wasn't until she could almost touch her that she recognised the sound of skirts ruffling against the stones. The tip of her wand snapped up and cast a glow across the stranger's face. She knew those eyes as well as she knew her own. Bellatrix was here. They were together.

"Well, well, well," Bellatrix said softly when she reached Hermione and let her hand trail across Hermione's jawline. The younger witch willingly rubbed her face against Bellatrix's hand, her eyes fluttering shut with inexpressible delight. A hungry look filled Bellatrix's eyes. "Look what the cat dragged in."

"I found you," Hermione whispered, her eyes still closed.

"After you almost lost me because you send me away!"

Her eyes snapped open. "If I hadn't, you'd be dead by now!"

The pain was sharp and intense. Bellatrix dealt an unforgiving blow as her hand made contact with Hermione's jaw and she staggered backwards, the impact knocking her off her feed. Her blood rushed through her ears and she looked up, tears stinging behind her eyes. Her front teeth had sunk into her bottom lip and she tasted her own blood on the tip of her tongue. She clutched her jaw, feeling the bruise form underneath her fingers.

"That's for abandoning me," Bellatrix hissed and slowly walked towards Hermione. The sound of her boots echoed off the stone walls surrounding them. "You left me!"

She raised her hand again, ready to hand out another blow, but Hermione was quicker. Her arm shot up and she aimed her wand at Bellatrix's chest. The bright flash of light lit up both their faces before it crashed into Bellatrix's chest and knocked her backwards. She landed on her back, her head hitting the cobbled alleyway. She groaned in pain as she struggled to get up and Hermione towered over her. For a second she was back in Diagon Alley, all those years ago, when she and Bellatrix had first crossed path. That night she felt what she did now. A surge of adrenaline that spread through her. A slow killing poison that crept into her heart.

"If I had left you there, you would have died. They would have burnt your body and scattered your ashes in four different places," Hermione snapped. "Do you know what they did to Narcissa? They took her body and destroyed it. They didn't just bury it, they tore it apart. Nobody will ever know where she is buried. If I hadn't saved you, you'd be dead too. Is that what you would have wanted, you ungrateful bitch?"

Bellatrix got back to her feet and her hand closed around Hermione's wrist so fast that the younger witch didn't get a chance to respond. She pushed her back until she collided with the wall and her black eyes pierced into Hermione's hazel brown. "I thought you'd be glad to see me," she whispered as she brought her lips close to Hermione's. Her breath was warm against her skin.

"To be honest, I think I liked the dead you better," Hermione breathed before capturing Bellatrix's lips with her own and her hands threaded the thick, black curls, pulling the older woman deeper into tge kiss. Nothing had changed. They were still the sweet poison they had always been. Inside her heart an all-consuming fire started and she groaned into the kiss when she felt Bellatrix's hands slide up her arms and eventually up into the back of her neck.

"I've missed you," she muttered when the need for oxygen drove them apart.

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed and let a single curl run through her fingers whilst studying Hermione's face. "I can still smell my sister on your skin. You haven't missed me at all."

"You lie, Bellatrix," Hermione breathed and rested her forehead against Bellatrix's. The touch could almost have been considered gentle. "You don't know anything."

"I know one thing," Bellatrix lisped and without warning her hands lowered across Hermione's stomach and reached the buttons on her leather trousers. The brunette's eyes widened as Bellatrix's fingers slipped behind them. She gasped for air and arched her back into the touch. This wasn't love. This wasn't even passion. This was pure and unadulterated claiming something that belonged to her and Bellatrix wasn't going to let anything or anyone stand in her way of getting it.

"Andromeda isn't alone," Hermione whispered just before Bellatrix's mouth claimed hers. "She's got that red haired witch with her."

"Andromeda will never be able to defeat me," Bellatrix said softly, her tongue trailing the curve of Hermione's bottom lip. When the smaller witch leant in to kiss her, Bellatrix pulled away, chuckling softly. "Not when we're together. Together we're everlasting."

Bellatrix paused for a moment, her fingers dangerously close to the triangle between Hermione's legs. She'd managed to peel the tight leather trousers down far enough to have access. Hermione was still pinned against the cold brick wall but she didn't care. Bellatrix's left hand pinned both Hermione's arms above her head as her right dipped lower behind her trousers, teasing their way across the soft cotton of her underwear. She felt the dampness even through the fabric. When Hermione arched into her touch she chuckled and brought her lips close to Hermione's ear. "_Now_ I know you've missed me."

"I wasn't complete," Hermione said and rested her head against Bellatrix' shoulder as the older woman dipped one and then two fingers behind her underwear. In the pit of her stomach the desire grew. "There is only one way out after tonight."

She cried out when Bellatrix's fingers plunged deep inside of her. For a split second they both stood still, as if to remember what this moment felt like. They had been her many times before, their bodies and minds so familiar, but the time apart had created a distance that was now rapidly growing smaller. Bellatrix's lips caught Hermione's for another searing kiss and her body pressed the younger woman firmly against the wall as her fingers slid through the wetness of Hermione's core. She curled her fingers inside her and started a quick and fast paced rhythm.

"Bella…," Hermione groaned when Bellatrix's lips found the spot under her neck just below her ear where her heartbeat was strongest. It hammered against the tip of the older witch's tongue. There was little love in what they were doing. All of this was about claiming back what had been taken; rekindling what was once believed to be lost. "Oh….Fuck…."

Bellatrix listened to Hermione's soft moans. They were music to her ears. For months she had been left to wander the darkness alone but now that she was here and her memories started to return, everything fell into place. This was where she was supposed to be, what she was supposed to become. The two of them still had enough left between them to start over, to make something stronger. Her pace increased and she felt Hermione's knees almost buckle against her body. She pressed her legs further apart with her own, supporting her and watched with a twisted grin how the passion flickered in Hermione's eyes.

"BELLA!"

Hermione's outcry was carried on by the wind, echoing of the walls before fading in the distance. The rain had started to fall once again, drenching both their bodies. Wet hair stuck to their faces as Bellatrix kissed the next outburst of passion away, smothering Hermione's moans with her lips. Fierce and passionate, hungry and full of lust. Their bodies were pressed together in a twisted display of affection, her fingers leaving bruises on Hermione's wrists.

As the waves of her orgasm subsides, Hermione slowly came back to her senses. The world around her regained its shape and she became aware of Bellatrix's body resting against her own. She smiled, letting her fingers run through the raven haired witch's curls. She hadn't changed. She just looked like she did in her memory. Her hand travelled down further until it found Bellatrix's and their fingers linked together. Bellatrix looked up.

"Come," she said softly and pulled Hermione away from the wall. "We can't stay here. By now they're looking for you."

"Where are we going?"

Bellatrix looked at her and smiled. "Home."


	10. Fire and Ice

**Author's note:** Well, here we go for another chapter...

* * *

**Chapter 10**

**Fire and Ice**

It turned out that when Bellatrix said they were going home, she meant it. When Hermione opened her eyes, her feet once again on solid ground, she found herself faced with a place she had not laid eyes upon for years. A cold shiver travelled down her spine as her hand slipped out of Bellatrix's and she tentatively walked up to the iron wrought that gate that surrounded the small garden. The gate opened as she pushed against it, creaking softly. When her fingers brushed against the door handle it gave way. In surprise she stepped back and turned around to Bellatrix.

"How did you know?" she whispered.

Bellatrix smiled. "I know you, Hermione." Her eyes darkened as she slowly walked towards the younger witch, her hand ghosting up her arm. "I know everything about you."

Hermione swallowed and looked back at the house. The night she'd walked away from here was the night she had vowed to join Harry and Ron in the hunt for the Horcruxes. She'd erased her parents' memories and abandoned her old life, replacing it with the unknown. She hadn't known what lay ahead and it turned out that the future was nothing like she expected. It had been a long time since she had last been here and a sense of loss filled her heart as she stepped over the threshold into the hallway. Bellatrix was right behind her.

Hermione opened the door separating the hallway from the living room and a soft gasp escaped her when she saw that the living room had not changed. The furniture was still there, exactly like the night she left. The picture frames on the sideboard, her parents' empty smiles forever captured in an image the world around them had long since forgotten. Her hand trailed over the back of the sofa as she walked further into the room, the sound of her footsteps echoing off the wooden floors. A layer of dust clung to the sideboard and the mantelpiece. Time seemed to have frozen here.

Slowly she turned around to Bellatrix. "So where are we now?" she asked softly as her brown eyes found Bellatrix's black orbs. "Where do we go from here, Bella?"

Bellatrix closed the distance between them and her fingers crept up along the inside of Hermione's arm. The touch was surprisingly soft and tender, catching Hermione by surprise. "We start over," the dark haired witch whispered and her hands reached Hermione's shoulders and brushed aside the soft strands of her hair. "There is so much yet to do."

"Nothing is like it was," Hermione answered. "We aren't who we were before."

Bellatrix cocked her head. "Nothing's changed."

"Look outside, Bella!" Hermione pointed to the window. "The skies are no longer dark. Robur Castle no longer stands on the banks of the river Thames and the cells in Azkaban and Falcon Island are full with those bearing our scars. The world has woken up to another dawn. The Cores are no more." Her breath hitched when she felt Bellatrix's finger nails against her neck. "It's gone."

"No!" Bellatrix hissed. "It may have changed, but it is not gone."

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "Our wands have been destroyed. All we have left is this." She reached into her pocket and drew the wand she took from the old wizard in the pub. "It's nothing special and barely responds to my commands." She aimed it at the wall and whispered something under her breath. The black roses sprouted from the tip of her wand and fell down to the floor.

"We have each other," Bellatrix said, bringing her lips close to Hermione's ear and kissing the soft skin of her neck. "I've missed you."

"And I you," Hermione breathed as she buried her face in Bellatrix's curls. She inhaled the familiar scent and felt her heart ease in her chest. Her arms snaked effortlessly around Bellatrix's waist and she held on for dear life. As her eyes fluttered shut she relived once again the scenes she'd seen in the Flames of Destiny. The voices haunted her like echoes, resounding in the distance of her mind. The tighter she clung to Bellatrix, the louder they became. She couldn't erase them or forget them, no matter how hard she tried. They were here with her. They would always be with her.

As she stood in the middle of the living room where she had played as a child, where she had sat on the sofa the very night Minerva McGonagall told her she was a witch, she was transported back to the nights in her cold, dark cell in St Mungo's. The sacrifice had seemed so worth it, had felt like the right thing to do. It wasn't until Andromeda saved her from her trap that she realised there was something else out there. Another chance. But it had led her right back here, the calling of her heart too strong to ignore. Bellatrix was a part of her and nothing could ever change that. She was the ice where Bellatrix was the fire, burning her slowly until nothing remained. She couldn't breathe without a memory of her, a longing everlasting in her heart. The Flames of Destiny had shown Bellatrix's face shortly before fading into ashes. In that last final glimpse she'd known this was the only place she could run to, the one place she could hide.

"I know what you did," Bellatrix said softly. "I know it was you who saved me and I know the sacrifices you have made." Gently she pushed Hermione away from her, keeping her at an arm's length so she could look into her eyes. Bellatrix's eyes were strangely kind and calm. For a moment the insanity seemed to have disappeared. "I know you lied to spare me the same fate as Narcissa."

Hermione flinched at the mention of the blonde witch's name. The pain and the loss were still raw. "I did what I had to do," she answered as she broke the eye contact and stepped away from Bellatrix. "I did what I had to keep you safe. "

"But you forgot about me."

"No," Hermione countered. "I never forgot about you. I just couldn't allow myself to remember. I know they tried to read my mind, Bella. They searched for every memory of you. You have no idea what it's like to feel that invaded, to know that they are tearing you apart from the inside out."

"I saw you in my dreams but I didn't know your name," Bellatrix said as she followed Hermione to the living room window. They stood side by side, staring through the glass. "So many faces without names. It was only during the night, as I slept, that I knew my past yet when I was awake, I knew nothing. My memories didn't return until she helped me. It broke something inside of me and allowed me to remember. I was no longer Eva."

"She's here," Hermione said. "The one who awakened you. She is with Andromeda and I know they will both be looking for you." She didn't mention the Flames of Destiny or what she had seen. "She knows who you are. How could she not have known before?"

"They live simple lives," Bellatrix answered. "Their village lies deep within the Irish forests. They do not communicate with others outside their own kind. Their magic is beyond any form I have ever seen. They create fire with their hands. No one uses a wand. Their power comes from within."

"So does ours," Hermione replied and turned to look at Bellatrix. Her hand searched for the older witch's and pulled her towards her. Lips found each other in a bruising kiss and she pushed Bellatrix against the window sill. Bellatrix's free hand threaded Hermione's hair at the same time as the brunette's teeth sank into her lower lip, drawing the sweet and poisoning taste of blood. Hermione's heart pounded in her chest and she pressed her body firmer against Bellatrix's, trapping her. She managed to hoist her up until Bellatrix sat in the window sill, her legs now dangling over the edge.

Hermione's lips trailed down across Bellatrix's neck, the tip of her tongue circling against the pulse point in her neck. Her fingers slipped away from Bellatrix's and the older witch's hand immediately went around Hermione's neck, pulling her closer towards her body. Hermione moaned in appreciation as her hands wandered across Bellatrix's chest and she felt the swell of her breasts through the leather of her corset. Skilled fingers untangled the lace that held it in place and the offending piece of clothing slowly slipped away from Bellatrix's porcelain skin, revealing the treasure Hermione had been looking for.

Her warm tongue circled a rapidly hardening nipple whilst her hands squeezed both breasts. Bellatrix exhaled, her breath burning against Hermione's flesh as the young brunette dropped to her knees on the floor. She kissed her way further down Bellatrix's chest and stomach until she reached her skirt. Her hands crept up underneath the material until they reached Bellatrix's thighs. There they came to a stop and hazel brown eyes looked up to charcoal brown. Everything about this moment was passionate and almost laced with love. It was as if the past caught up with them and suddenly they were back to where they had once been.

"Please," Bellatrix whispered. It almost sounded like a plea.

Hermione merely smiled as she continued to kiss her way up along Bellatrix's thighs. The raven haired witch's hands threaded Hermione's curls as she pressed her firmer against her, spurring her on. Hermione caught scent of Bellatrix's arousal and it set her insides on fire. She slipped her fingers behind the black laced underwear Bellatrix wore and pushed it aside, revealing her price. When the tip of her tongue slid through the slick folds, she heard Bellatrix gasp for air.

Bellatrix's head fell back as Hermione slowly entered her with two fingers. The glass was cold against her glowing skin and she arched her back as best as she could without sliding out of the window sill. She pulled up one leg, placing her foot on the edge and allowing Hermione more space and a better angle. She bit down on her lips when she felt Hermione's tongue flick over her swollen bundle of nerves as her fingers curled inside her.

Bellatrix's chest began to rise and fall in a more rapid yet uncontrolled manner and her fingers grabbed a firmer hold of Hermione's hair. Helplessly her head fell back as the orgasm began to build up in the pit of her stomach. Seconds seemed to feel like hours as she finally released everything she'd been hiding for the past year. Every emotion, every second she had spent wanting and wandering, was released into the air as a passionate, throaty outcry of lust and passion escaped her and bounced off the walls. She shuddered, her hands moving from Hermione's hair to the edge of the window sill, and a fine sheen of sweat coated her skin. She trembled, her toes curling, as she rode out the waves of her orgasm. In her chest her heart seemed to have exploded and for a blissful moment she seemed to be floating in the air, completely weightless.

Hermione removed her hand and slowly stood up. She wrapped her arms around Bellatrix's neck and pulled her closer, resting the older woman's head against her chest. She kissed the top of her head, letting her fingers run through the coarse curls, and stared through the now slightly foggy glass.

If only this moment could have been everlasting.

~()~

"Where are we?" Brighid asked as Andromeda determinedly strode up to a building alongside a London street. She'd followed the dark haired witch without asking questions, knowing that time wasn't on their side, but now she began to wonder where it was Andromeda had taken them. The city of London was large and noisy to a witch who had never left the sheltered world of her enchanted forest and she nervously glanced around as people walked past them without paying them as much as a second glance. She increased her pace to keep up with Andromeda. "Andy, where are we going?"

"Ministry of Magic," Andromeda answered without looking up.

"What? Why?" Brighid wanted to know. "Why are we here?"

"There's someone who can help us find Hermione." Andromeda replied just as they reached the main entrance. The wizard keeping watch outside recognised her and stepped aside. The doors swung open and Andromeda turned to look at Brighid. She observed the questioning look in her eyes and took a deep breath. "My daughter."

Brighid didn't answer and instead just silently followed Andromeda through the endless corridors of the Ministry. They eventually reached the elevators and Andromeda pressed the number five. Since the end of the war, the Ministry had been reorganised and most of the departments had been moved around. Most of them had been cancelled altogether, to eliminate any corrupt workers. Now anyone who wished to work for the Ministry was required to drink Truth Serum. No one had a chance of hiding their darkest secrets.

"You didn't mention your daughter works for the Ministry," Brighid said once the elevator doors had closed and they were alone. She gave Andromeda a sideways glance.

"Things are a little complicated at the moment," Andromeda admitted. "Nymphadora was at my side all the way through the war but she didn't learn the real truth about Bellatrix until nearer the end. I'm not sure she's ever forgiven me for lying to her and I don't think she'll ever look at me the same way again. She doesn't understand why I protected Hermione, and by extent Bellatrix. Since I helped Hermione escape from St Mungo's she's barely spoken to me." She took a deep breath. "Frankly, I don't know if she'll help me at all."

"Why?" Brighid asked softly. "You're her mother."

"I haven't been the best parent recently," Andromeda replied. "Throughout the war I was more worried about Hermione. In fact, everything I did was about Hermione. I don't think Nymphadora ever understood how I could still love her even after all the things she did. To be honest, if she were given the chance, I think Nymphadora would kill Hermione, even if it meant she'd destroy me."

"I wish I understood what happened in your world," Brighid said. "If I did, it means I could Eva, or Bellatrix, just that little bit better. I knew she was troubled from the first moment I laid eyes on her. She was badly hurt but I could still see into her soul. The darkness lingered there; she just didn't seem to remember it was a part of her. I hoped that we could make her see that she did not need that side of her to live."

"You're wrong," Andromeda countered. "Bellatrix does need that darkness. It is all she has left." She swallowed hard. "You said you could see into her soul…."

"More often it is a curse than a gift," Brighid said softly and stared down at the elevator floor. "To know someone was born to be on the other side and watch that person grow, knowing they will not stay with you forever is a burden many cannot cope to carry. I have seen souls torn apart because of it. I have seen those whom I believed to be faithful turn their backs because eventually the darkness within them woke up and destroyed them."

Andromeda's eyes found Brighid's. The question rolled off her tongue with hesitation and an echo of fear. "Did you see Hermione's soul?"

Brighid averted her gaze. "The Flames of Destiny have answered her questions, Andromeda. There is no need for me to do so too."

"You have, haven't you?"

"There's still time…."

"What are you saying?" Andromeda asked. The elevator doors opened, revealing the department where her daughter worked. She took Brighid's arm and got the red haired witch to look at her. "Please, I need to know."

"Don't give up," Brighid answered. "Just don't give up."

Andromeda swallowed hard, the lump of her throat constricting her voice. She couldn't speak. As she turned away and stopped the elevator doors from closing, she discovered her daughter down the hall, walking towards them. Tonks seemed surprised to see her mother and her eyes narrowed. She froze in her tracks and Andromeda could see how her daughter's defensive instincts kicked in.

"What are you doing here?" she wanted to know when she reached her mother. "What's going on?"

"Hermione's gone," Andromeda said. "We think she's joined Bellatrix."

"We?" Tonks aske and suspiciously eyed up the stranger at her mother's side.

"Her name is Brighid. She's from Ireland and she knows Bellatrix rather well," Andromeda explained and noticed the hint of curiosity in her daughter's eyes as she eyed up the red haired witch. "Listen, Nymphadora, we haven't got time to discuss all of that now. I need you to help me find Hermione. I came to London because it's the only I place I know Bellatrix has been to since her return. Hermione knows that too. I'll explain everything later but I really need you to help me."

"Why?" Tonks answered and folded her arms across her chest in an act of defiance. The cool tone of her voice told Andromeda she hadn't been wrong about her daughter's feelings. She didn't want her to find Hermione, even if it meant the consequences could be severe. "Maybe those two deserve each other."

"I don't care about your emotions right now," Andromeda snapped and found herself surprised by her own anger. She'd felt remarkably calm coming here but now the anxiety took over. She needed to find Hermione and she wasn't going to give up until her daughter had promised to help her, regardless of what it took. "Maybe I should but I don't. I know I screwed up, Nymphadora, but this isn't about your hurt or your anger anymore. I know how you feel about Hermione and Bellatrix but right now that doesn't matter. They're together and Merlin only knows what this means for the rest of us."

"They haven't got any wands that can do much more damage than yours or mine," Tonks answered. "What threat can they pose?"

"Together they will always be a threat," Andromeda said sharply. "Will you help me find her or not?"

"You know the Minister is not going to approve of this."

"He doesn't have to know."

"Mum…"

"If I didn't think they're dangerous I wouldn't have come here," Andromeda said softly. "Hermione went through a ritual in an attempt to determine where her loyalties lie. Consider it a test of fate if you like. No one knows what the Flames of Destiny showed her but not long after she disappeared. I fear she's gone to look for Bellatrix, for whatever reasons. I have no doubt that they'll have found each other by now. Somehow they always managed. I need your help to find both of them, Nymphadora. Bellatrix needs to be stopped."

"And Hermione?"

"She too, if it turns out she's gone back to be with Bellatrix."

"Ok," Tonks reluctantly said and looked at her mother. "I'll tell the Minister I've been called away on a family emergency." She turned on her heel and without waiting for her mother's reply she disappeared down the corridor. Andromeda watched her disappear and looked at Brighid.

"You weren't lying when you said she's hurt," the Irish witch observed.

"I know," Andromeda whispered. "I've destroyed the relationship we once had and I don't think I'll ever be able to fix it again."

Brighid put a hand on Andromeda's arm. "But she'll help us find Hermione…"

"Let's just hope it is not yet too late."


	11. Old Wounds

**Author's note: **I think it's time for some action. Let's add a little bit of movement to this story, shall we?

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**Old Wounds**

They'd left the Ministry of Magic and the first place they went to was what was left of Andromeda's house. Tonks ordered both of them to wait outside and Andromeda reluctantly did what her daughter asked her to. She watched her disappear through what had once been the front door after lifting the protective wards long enough to slip inside. The Muggles living in the street could see the building now and due to the Ministry's swift actions on the night of the fire, nobody seemed surprised it was suddenly there. The flames had destroyed any protection around the building and since then nobody had bothered to put them back. The only once put in place since that night were several spells that prevented broken floorboards to fall through and items to fall on people's heads.

"You must have been through a lot," Brighid said as she watched the derelict ruins. "Sometimes I wish that we knew more of what happened outside our forest but at the same time I am glad we're this sheltered. It means that we'll always be safe."

"You wouldn't have recognised this world if you'd met us last year," Andromeda said softly. "I don't think we saw sunshine for months. I've never known hat much darkness to exist in one place. I thought the world was without hope when Voldemort was in power but when Hermione, Bellatrix and Narcissa took over it turned out we'd seen nothing yet. They made Voldemort look like a day in the park." She swallowed hard as some of the horrible scenes flashed before her eyes. "They destroyed everything we held most dear."

"Almost everything," Brighid reminded her. "You still have your daughter."

Andromeda's eyes swam with tears. "Do I?"

"Molly told me what Hermione did," Brighid said. "She told me she killed her friends. Most of them with her own hands. I've heard about darkness consuming someone's heart and soul before but it seems to me that whatever got hold of Hermione was more intense than just darkness."

"Her wand core fed her hatred. The night Ron attacked her it ripped her open on the inside and unleashed something nobody knew even lived inside her. I don't think Hermione knew. It was Bellatrix who fed that hatred at first before the Core began feeding it back into her. All the while she had that wand and it made her do most of the things she did but the wand responded to her commands. It did what she wanted to but it poisoned her mind, her heart and her soul. Not until it was destroyed did we get to see a fragment of the girl she'd once been."

"The girl you fell in love with."

"The girl I never stopped loving, no matter what." Andromeda set her jaw and took a deep breath. "No one understood. Most of the time, I didn't even understand. I know she loves Bellatrix as much as she loves me and her feelings for Narcissa were genuine too. Their bond went beyond anything our minds can comprehend. The three of them were one and only death could break that apart." Her hand slipped into her pocket and she took out the broken necklace. "Only death can destroy love."

"Molly said you killed your sister." Brighid's voice was soft as she turned to look at the dark haired witch standing at her side. She noticed the distant look in Andromeda's eyes as she stared at the house. Both of them knew what had happened here. It was where their paths had crossed Bellatrix's and where their separate journeys to find her became one. Bellatrix was what brought them together and they would have to complete this path, this journey, together.

"Narcissa tried to kill Bellatrix in a moment of frenzied madness. Her jealousy and her hatred finally got the better of her and she attempted to destroy the one thing that kept them together." A lonely tear cascaded down Andromeda's cheek and her hand covered her chest, right where Bellatrix's dagger had pierced her skin. The scar had never quite healed. "Bellatrix tried to kill me. She stabbed me and would have left me to bleed to death had things not turned out the way they did."

Brighid averted her gaze and stared down at the floor. "I… I didn't know…"

"Nobody really knows," Andromeda whispered. "Because I never told anyone. Not like this." She tore her eyes away from the ruins. "Not the truth."

"Andy…"

"It doesn't matter now," Andromeda concluded. "Hermione blamed Bellatrix for everything that happened. She blamed her for the darkness and she blamed her for me. Narcissa's anger took over. She always loved Bellatrix, for as long as I can remember, and to hear Bella declare her love to someone else was more than she could take. Narcissa threw her own dagger and hit Bellatrix. Then the world crumbled and for a moment I believed we were all dead. It happened so fast…." Her voice cracked as she recounted the events of that fateful night at Hogwarts. "I believed Bella was dead and I think Narcissa did too. She went to kill Hermione but I…. I don't know how I got up but I did…" Her voice had become hollow. "I killed my own sister to protect the woman I love."

"We do strange things for the people we love," Brighid said and her hand found Andromeda's. She gave it a gentle squeeze and followed it with an encouraging smile. "Even things that we know are wrong."

"Even then, in that moment, Hermione went to look for Narcissa. I don't know why. Maybe to make sure she was dead or because she hoped that maybe she was still alive, even though she knew deep down that it couldn't be so. I don't think I have ever seen that much pain in anybody's eyes."

"What became of her? Of Narcissa?"

"The Ministry buried her body in an unmarked grave in the Highlands," Andromeda answered. "I couldn't tell Hermione because I know she'd want to see her. She believes that Narcissa's body was destroyed and buried in four different places, impossible to find. I don't want her knowing that she is out there somewhere. I know she'll try to find her. Her grief is too strong, even now. It is best if she believes the lie."

Brighid seemed to hesitate. "When did you know she helped Bellatrix?"

"I wasn't sure until the Minister told me they'd found my nephew Draco but not Bellatrix. Although he hadn't been a prominent part of the war, I kind of guessed he may have helped her. She was the only family he had left. When he was transferred to Falcon Island he insisted he didn't know where she was. They used Truth Serum and his words were true. He didn't know. So if she hadn't escaped from Hogwarts herself, someone had to have helped her. That's when I knew."

"What did the Ministry say?" Brighid asked. "Surely they must have known she got away?"

"They did. They wanted to look for her but I told them I didn't want that. I knew she was weak and I knew she wouldn't pose a danger to anyone in that state. We didn't even know for sure she was still alive. She could have gotten away and died somewhere else. I wanted them to focus on rebuilding our world and trying to find Bellatrix was stopping us from doing so. We needed to move on and to do that the world needed to believe she was dead."

"What happened to Hermione after that night?"

"They locked her up in St Mungo's, in the psychiatric ward. She was constantly throwing fits and if she wasn't screaming and shouting, she'd sit in a corner for days on end without speaking. She bit and scratched herself until she bled and refused food and drink. To everyone else she was insane. A result of the Cores destroying her completely. There was nothing left."

"But you knew she wasn't really insane, did you?" an unexpected voice asked and Andromeda looked up to find that Tonks had emerged from the house. Her eyes widened. "When did you really know, mother? When she started talking to herself about Bellatrix or before that? Did you protect her for as long as you could, lie to everyone the same way you lied to me?"

"Nymphadora, please," Andromeda began. "How much did you hear?"

"Everything I should have heard a long time ago," Tonks answered. The hurt flashed through her eyes. "Why didn't you tell me? Why did you lie, mum? I thought that after the war we could talk about what happened but whenever I tried, you told me to let it rest. Now I know why."

"This wasn't your battle."

"Not my battle?!" Tonks shrieked. Tears suddenly streamed down her face. "Hermione killed my friends, mum! She personally helped Bellatrix and Narcissa kill my father, your husband! Maybe you didn't love him anymore but I did!"

"We can't change what happened and we can't undo what was done. Back then, neither of us knew what Hermione was doing. I should have seen it sooner but I didn't. That burden is something I carry with me every day but I know that some of this, some of what she did, wasn't what she wanted to do. Hermione is a very confused and torn girl, Nymphadora. She isn't the girl who shared Grimmauld Place with you when she was fifteen!"

"Nor is she the girl you fell in love with!" Tonks retorted. "She never was."

Brighid stepped in between them when Andromeda was about to walk towards her daughter. She shook her head and raised both her hands. An invisible barrier appeared, separating mother and child. She looked from one to the other. "There will be a time for arguing but it is not now. I know you have suffered but unless we move on tonight, somebody else is going to suffer too. Your mother is right in assuming that Bellatrix is dangerous. She is looking for revenge and she won't stop until she gets it." Her eyes found Tonks'. "You have every right to be angry and hurt but use those emotions in your search for her, not to compromise your relationship with your mother, no matter how much you want to hate her right now. There will be a time but it is not tonight."

Tonks took a deep breath. "Ok."

"I'm sorry." Andromeda averted her eyes and shook her head. "We need to move on."

"There's nobody here. I don't think anybody's been here since the time you two met Bellatrix," Tonks said softly. "However, just before I left the Ministry someone informed me that an old wizard lost his wand in a village a couple of miles away from the Weasley home." Her eyes found her mother. "The witch who took it matches Hermione's description. The entire pub was found stunned but nobody was injured."

"It has begun." Andromeda turned away from the other two witches and started walking down the quiet street. "She has a wand."

"Where else would she go?" Brighid asked. "What other place would mean something to her?"

"All the places they used during the war have been destroyed, Black Manor and Malfoy Manor were torn apart and Robur Castle was destroyed the morning after the war ended," Andromeda said. "There is no other place for them to go. Unless…." Her eyes found her daughter's. "Have you tried the castle and the village?"

"They know," Tonks answered, reading her mother's mind. "No one's seen anything. The Minister sent Aurors the moment we learnt Bellatrix was back."

"Castle? What castle?" Brighid asked.

"Hogwarts Castle," Andromeda explained. "It's been the scene of many battles throughout the war and Hogsmeade village marked a change around in events. I thought that maybe they'd go back to the once place they could never quite conquer. Even when they did have Hogwarts, the rebellion continued. They never quite owned it."

"If they'd gone back there, we'd know about it."

Andromeda's eyes widened as a sudden memory struck her. "Her parents!"

"What? What do you mean?" Tonks sounded confused. "Hermione's parents are in Australia. She hasn't seen them for years!"

"But Molly has gone to find them after you mentioned you'd located them. She's gone to bring them back to England so Hermione can be reunited with them," Andromeda explained. Her eyes darted to Brighid. "That's the only place throughout all of this, including the war, nobody's been. Hermione's house, the place where she grew up!"

"Hermione's house is in the middle of a Muggle estate. You think Bellatrix would accept that?" Tonks asked.

"It's the best shot we have," Brighid agreed with Andromeda. "I'd say we take it."

Tonks chewed the inside of her cheek. "Do you know where it is?"

"Somewhere in Kent, I think," Andromeda answered. "It shouldn't be too hard to find out. What do you think we should do?"

"I think it's more important that we think about what we do when we get there and find out Bellatrix is actually there," Tonks said softly and allowed herself to meet her mother's eyes. They had reached a subject that was inevitable. If they were to find Bellatrix, emotions would come into play. She had to know what she was doing, what was expected of her. "Do we take her prisoner? There's a cell on Falcon Island with her name on it. Nobody wants to put her back into Azkaban because she knows the place too well."

Andromeda's eyes hardened. "We'll deal with that when we come to it."

~()~

It was strange walking through the house where she had lived as a child. Almost everything was exactly as it had once been. Most of the furniture had been left behind. Some of it was covered in white sheets to protect it from dust and the hands of time. Most of the cupboards were empty and she'd snuck out of the house, after making sure the neighbours didn't see her, to walk to the small supermarket around the corner. She came back with plenty of food to last them for a little while and had fixed something on the same cooker where her mother had once cooked her meals whilst Bellatrix wandered aimlessly around the house, rolling her wand through her fingers.

"Where have you been?" Hermione asked after they'd eaten and the silence got to her. Bellatrix had barely spoken since their encounter in the window sill but now the dark haired witch's eyes snapped up. "I know Brighid healed you. Where have you been?"

"The forest lies in Ireland," Bellatrix answered. "The village is hidden from the world. Only those of magical decent are free to come and go. Muggles cannot break the protective spells and therefore cannot find it. Her Hunters found me not far from the river. They knew I possessed magic because I had broken the boundaries around their village and they took me home." Her dark eyes wandered off to the window. In the weak light of the several candles standing around the room she looked almost fragile. "When they asked me how I got there, I did not remember."

"I didn't have a choice," Hermione said softly and crossed the living room. Her arms snaked around Bellatrix's waist and she rested her chin on the dark haired witch's shoulders. "I couldn't lose you too."

Bellatrix's eyes narrowed. "I remember the nightmares," she whispered. "So many faces… but I didn't know any of them. Brighid kept trying but…"

"She didn't know who you were," Hermione said softly. "She explained to me that they live so sheltered that often they do not know what happens in the world beyond their forest. They didn't know about us."

"When I found you…." Bellatrix's voice trailed off. "When I was in your head…."

"How did you do it?" Hermione breathed. She rubbed her face against Bellatrix's curls, tightening the grip on her waist. "How did you find me?"

"I don't know. I just went where my heart told me to go." She paused. "It was a ritual. Brighid created it. T was supposed to retrieve my soul and bring back some of the memories. It wasn't supposed to go the way ti did and instead of slowly opening, everything happened at once. I remembered." Bellatrix's eyes darkened and she slowly turned around until she faced Hermione. "I remembered you."

"You awoke me too," Hermione mused and let her hand trail up along Bellatrix's waist until she reached her cheek. "It was the night I broke my seal and decided it was time to leave. I knew you were out there, that you were alive. My wait was over."

"Our paths reunited once more."

"Yes," Hermione said softly and pressed her lips on Bellatrix's.

Bellatrix pushed her away. Her features hardened as she studied Hermione's face. "She knew didn't she?"

"What do you mean?"

"My sister. She knew I was alive, didn't she?"

Hermione blinked. "Yes. She knew."

"So she lied for all this time. Why? If she knew I lived then why didn't she come looking for me? Send the ministry to find me?" Bellatrix began pacing the living room. "Andromeda knew and did nothing."

"She came for me," Hermione said. "She took me from St Mungo's because she knew you had returned. She knew you'd come looking for me eventually and she tried to beat you to it. She lied to Ministry to protect both of us."

"Why?"

"For the same reason she has always done the things she did."

"Love?" Bellatrix spat. "Andromeda doesn't love me."

"She did once," Hermione answered. "A long time ago. And I think she does still."

Bellatrix snorted. "My sister is a fool."

"She has something you might be interested in."

Bellatrix slowly turned around and her dark eyes found Hermione's hazel brown orbs. A smirk tugged at the corners of her cheek and she arched an eyebrow as she took in the sight of the young witch in front of her. She knew her so well and yet over time they had become strangers. They would have to find each other again in this life. "And what might that be?"

"Andromeda has the Deathly Hallows."

Bellatrix's eyes widened and she stopped in her tracks. "She has them?!"

"Yes," Hermione whispered. "She hasn't told anyone byt the day after the fire she returned to her house to look for something. She didn't tell anyone what it was but I know she has them. She possesses the Elder Wand. It was how she destroyed us last year. Since then she must have found the stone and the cloak. It is the only reason why she doesn't fear you the way she used to and why she knew she could protect me."

"Well, I guess this means I need to have a little conversation with my sister." The glee in her voice was disturbing and the manic glint in her dark eyes returned. She cocked her head as she let her fingers slip under Hermione's chin before pulling her in for a kiss. "Now tell me, who do you belong to?"

Hermione rolled back her sleeve as to expose her wrist and showed Bellatrix the scar. She then took the raven haired witch's arm and revealed the matching scar on her own forearm. "I will always be yours," she whispered when their eyes found each other. "Some things cannot be changed. Only death can part us now."

Bellatrix's lips found Hermione's for a searing kiss and her fingers tangled in the brunette's curls. The kiss tasted of lust and desire but also of loss and grief. The longer they held on to each other, the stronger the feelings became. The past flooded back into their minds as images flashed before their eyes. Small sparks began to erupt around their feet until they exploded into larger silver jets. Their bodies seemed to melt together for a moment in time, repairing what was lost, and the natural magic around them grew stronger.

When they parted Hermione's gaze dropped down to her wrist and at the small pool of blood that had formed near her feet. Burgundy drops still trickled down her pale flesh and when she brought her hand up for closer inspection she noticed that the old scar had been cut open. Her eyes found Bellatrix's and then dropped to the older woman's wrist. It was covered in blood too.

"We can never be apart," Hermione whispered as she let fingers run across Bellatrix's bloody wrist and then touched her own. "I'll always be with you now." Her bloodied fingers then traced their way up Bellatrix's jaw before slipping into the former Death Eater's mouth. "This is what I was born to be."

Her time in St Mungo's had allowed her to think, to reflect, to look back. Looking back on things past, things she had once considered meaningless. Suddenly, in a different light, they had made sense to her. Now she knew, now she understood, although no one had explained it to her. Somewhere in between the madness and the darkness she'd found something she recognised, could hold on to. Something that was so precious. It was something no one had yet seen because she herself had only just discovered it. But it had been there, inside of her, locked away in some forgotten corner. It was out now, out into the world, and nothing or no one was ever going to put it back.

She didn't get a chance to speak again. A loud blast blew the front door off its hinges and the windows shattered. The gust of wind blew out all the candles, covering the living room in a blanket of darkness and smoke. Hermione's hand shot down to her wand and as she did so she threw herself to the ground, dragging Bellatrix with her. The sofa provided a quick shelter, allowing the darker haired witch to take her own wand. Within the next second they heard footsteps on the wooden floor and several bright flashes of light lit up the room.

Hermione peered past the sofa and aimed her wand at the first thing she saw. "Impedimenta!"

"Stupefy!" cried a familiar voice. "You can't hide forever, Hermione!"

Hermione felt a cold shiver travel down her spine. It was Andromeda's voice. She stood up without hesitation and aimed her wand a second time. Now she discovered the other two individuals as well and her wand shot from Andromeda to Brighid. "Crucio!"

"NO!" Andromeda shouted but before she could flick her wand to divert the curse, Brighid's hands shot up and created a fireball between her fingers. It grew larger until it was bright enough to illuminate all their faces and she threw it. It hit Hermione's red jet, burning it, before whizzing across the room and hitting the sofa. Flames erupted from the cushions and both Hermione and Bellatrix staggered backwards, trapped between the fire and the wall.

"Avada Kedavra!" Bellatrix bellowed the curse so loud that her voice echoed on through the night but the green jet missed as Brighid ducked and rolled across the room, coming to a rest not far from the dining table.

Tonks pointed her wand at Bellatrix. "Incarcerous!"

"You're going to have to do better than that," Bellatrix mocked and flicked her wand. The chains turned into dust and fell to the floor. She aimed her wand at the soaring flames and the next incantation was quiet. Water came from the tip of her wand and she put out of the flames without batting an eyelid. She then slowly walked towards her sister and niece. Andromeda seemed struck.

"Hello sister dear," Bellatrix whispered and pouted. "Miss me?"

"Not one bit," Andromeda sneered and stepped in front of Tonks to prevent her from attacking Bellatrix. This was something between them and she wasn't going to let anyone change that. "In fact, I would have been happier if you'd stayed dead but I guess we can't everything in life."

"Oh but I can," Bellatrix lisped. "It's just you who can't."

"What do you want?" Hermione hissed as she strode across the room towards Andromeda. "How did you find me?"

"I know you better than you think," Andromeda answered. "I knew you'd come home eventually."

"This isn't home."

"You know it is," Andromeda said softly. "Listen, I know why you came here and I know why you went looking for her. I don't care what the Flames showed you, Hermione, but this isn't where you belong. Those times are behind us and we'd moved on, remember? We had a chance to start over."

"I have started over," Hermione stated coolly and raised her arm. The bloody mark on her wrist was clearly visible. "We are still one." She turned before Andromeda could blink and aimed her wand at Brighid as she redhead slowly scrambled back to her feet. "Leave while you still can."

Tonks stepped out from behind her mother. "You know we can't do that."

"Have it your way," Hermione shrugged and flicked her wand. Ropes wound themselves around Brighid's body and slowly crept their way up from her ankles to her neck. The fear in the Irish witch's eyes told Andromeda the ropes were not just tight, they were slowly strangling the air out of her lungs.

Tonks was quicker and her wand shot up, came back down in a circular motion and metal chains dropped from the ceiling over their heads. Bellatrix shrieked and jumped aside but she was too late. The chain had wrapped itself around her ankle and dragged her towards the Auror. Tonks flicked her wand again and Bellatrix's wand landed in her open palm. She cocked her head. "Never turn your back on an Auror," she reminded the raven haired witch. "Just something to remember in the future,."

"Hermione don't do this," Andromeda begged. "Let her live."

"Only if you let her go," Hermione commanded. Her eyes had darkened and she stared at Andromeda with the same cold, empty eyes she'd seen in St Mungo's. "Give me Bellatrix and you get her."

"We can't let her make the rules, mum," Tonks whispered and Andromeda gave a single nod. It was all she needed. Her hand closed around the end of the chain, yanked it to drag Bellatrix to her feet, and in the next second they were gone. The room suddenly went quiet and Hermione's eyes widened. What followed was a horrific outcry of pain and anger as she spun around on the tip of her toes, her eyes desperately searching for her lover. Bellatrix did not answer her call.

"NOOOO!" Hermione shouted and before Andromeda had a chance to reach her she slashed her wand through the air several times. The walls around the crumbled and Andromeda had to protect her head with her hands before dropping to her knees. Pieces of the ceiling and furniture rained down on her. In the distance she sound of police sirens came closer and through the cloud of dust and smoke she could make out Hermione walking slowly towards her. It wasn't until she stood right in front of her that she could meet her eyes.

"This isn't who you are," Andromeda begged as she stared up at her. "Hermione, please… listen to me… this isn't what you have become…."

"You sure?" Hermione asked coldly and pointed at Brighid's lifeless body behind her. She shrugged. "Think again."


	12. Fallen

**Author's note: **Hi guys, I'm sorry for the massive delay. I kept trying to write something that felt right but it wasn't really happening. However, this morning my muse struck so here we go again. I still don't know which pairing (if any!) is going to be endgame. They both have a lot going for them. If you have any suggestions or thoughts, let me know. I'm not saying that I'll honour your wishes but it would be nice to read some of your comments as to why it should be Bellatrix/Hermione, Hermione/Andromeda or neither - which I guess is also a possibility...

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**Chapter 12**

"Don't do this," Andromeda whispered. "I know this isn't what you are. Hermione, please listen to me!"

"I gave you a choice. All you had to do was walk away," Hermione said. "But you couldn't do it, could you? You had to try and do things your way yet again." Her eyes were blazing with hatred. "Give me Bellatrix and she lives. If you don't bring her back, she dies." She shrugged. "It's up to you."

"It's not worth it," Brighid stammered. Andromeda looked at her and watched how she seemed to scramble back to her feet. Bright red marks around her neck betrayed how close she'd been to death. Tears trickled down her cheeks but they were not shed out of fear but because of the adrenaline rushing through Brighid's body. She took a ragged breath. "Let my death be a good thing. They shouldn't be re-joined. They aren't meant to be. It was me who nursed Bellatrix. Had it not been for me, she would surely be dead."

"How would you know what's meant to be?" Hermione sneered. "You don't know anything!"

Andromeda took a deep breath. She knew where Bellatrix was. The trick had worked. It was something she and Tonks had discussed mere minutes before arriving here. It hadn't even been her idea. Her daughter had thought of it. The only thing they could do was hope it worked. She didn't think it would until Tonks wrapped the chain around Bellatrix. Only then did she realise this could actually work.

"No," she said dismissively. "We're going to have to do this some other way. Bellatrix isn't' coming back, Hermione. Nymphadora has taken her far away from here, away from you." Dark eyes found hazel brown. "You know this isn't what's supposed to happen, Hermione." Her wand slowly rose up further into the air. If she wanted to save Brighid if Hermione decided to hex her, she had to be fast. She'd only have a split second to react and even that could very well not be enough.

"You don't know, do you?" Hermione whispered. "You have no idea what I saw!"

"Then tell me!"

"I can't!" Suddenly there were tears in Hermione's eyes. "I can't tell you!"

"You have to kill her, don't you?" Brighid whispered and Hermione's eyes snapped to the Irish witch. She still sat on her knees, her hands touching her neck. The tears had dried and strands of red hair fell into her eyes. "The Flames showed you Bellatrix's death, didn't they?" She slowly looked up at Hermione. "Didn't they?!"

"I'm not listening to you," Hermione said. Her hand trembled. It was a warning sign. "You know nothing!"

"HERMIONE!"

Andromeda's voice died out as the spell shot from the tip of Hermione's wand. She flicked her own but the Shield Charm wasn't fast or strong enough to block it. The green jet shot across the small distance between Hermione and Brighid and crashed into the red haired witch's body. Her mouth opened and a deep sigh escaped from her throat before her lifeless body collapsed to the ground. Brighid was dead.

Andromeda sprinted towards Hermione and flung her arms around her waist. At the same time she felt the familiar feeling of Apparition near her belly button and her feet lost contact with the floor. The last thing she saw was a flash of light and then the world changed into a blur. Hermione's fingers clawed at her arms in attempt to shake her off but Andromeda wasn't letting go. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced her mind to remain empty so she wouldn't Splinch herself. Bile rose up in the back of her throat and when her eyes snapped back open the first thing she noticed was the sound of waves crashing against rocks.

The impact was hard and she lost her balance as her feet made contact with the soil. She stumbled backwards and scrambled around for her wand. When she sat up she found Hermione lying face down in the grass, momentarily frozen. She grabbed her wand, leapt to her feet and ran over to the younger witch. She grabbed her by her shoulders and turned her over. Hermione stared up at her, eyes dead and hollow. Her face was emotionless.

"What have you done?!" Andromeda whispered as she pulled Hermione towards her. She wrapped her arms around her and carefully rocked her backwards and forwards. Hermione didn't move. She didn't try to fight her off nor did she try to wrap her own arms around Andromeda. They sat like this for a little while, with the only sound coming from the waves below them and the seagulls in the distance.

Minutes passed and after what felt like an eternity, Andromeda felt Hermione move in her arms. She looked down to find the young brunette blinking against the sunlight over their heads and slowly she tried to sit up. Andromeda reluctantly let her but made sure not to let her go completely. Hermione turned to look at her and instantly her eyes darkened again. It was as if the memories came flooding back.

"Leave me alone," she growled as she managed to free herself from Andromeda's arms. She jumped to her feet and towered over the dark haired witch still sitting in the grass. She discovered her wand lying not too far away and picked it up before turning back to look at Andromeda. "What have you done?"

"It isn't about what I've done, it's about what you've done," Andromeda spoke calmlu. "You killed an innocent woman."

"You should have given me Bellatrix when you had the chance!"

"Bella is safe," Andromeda reassured her. "Just not with you."

"Where is she?" Hermione demanded. "I want to know where she is."

"Somewhere you won't be able to find her."

"NO!" Hermione cried and the raw anger and pain in her voice tore through Andromeda's soul. "NO! I need you to bring me to her." Her eyes found Andromeda's. "Bring us back together."

"You know I can't do that," Andromeda whispered and slowly she got up. She walked over to Hermione, never taking her eyes off her wand, but Hermione lowered it as she came nearer. She accepted Andromeda's presence despite her anger and pain. "Hermione, what happened today proves that you change when you're with her. Bellatrix is your poisoned chalice, your weakness. When you are together, you become a monster, like she is. Something dark wakes up inside of you."

"That darkness has never been gone," Hermione snapped. "It's always been here. I feel alive when I'm with her."

Andromeda searched Hermione's face. "What do you feel when you're with me?"

"With you? With you, I'm afraid. I'm afraid of myself, of the world. I don't know who I am or where I belong. I can't cope knowing that the darkness dwells within. Fighting it is too much to bear." She swallowed hard. "With Bellatrix I don't have to fight anymore."

"What you are when you're with Bellatrix isn't the real you. When you're with her you forget the other sides of you and you allow the darkness to be stronger. That isn't the truth, Hermione," Andromeda said. Loving eyes glistened with tears. "I know that and I know you know it too." Her hand reached out and pressed against Hermione's chest, right over her heart. "In here, that's where the real you lives. And it doesn't matter how deep Bellatrix gets in there, she can never take those other sides away from you."

"Where is she?" Hermione wiped the tears from her face. "Please, at least tell me where she is."

Andromeda shook her head. "I can't because I know you'll go looking for her. I can't let you do that."

Hermione turned away from Andromeda and slowly walked towards the edge of the cliff. She stared down into the depths below, watching the waves pound against the rocks. This was one of the most peaceful places in England. The Cornish coastline. She hadn't been here since she was a little girl and even now she couldn't explain why she had chosen this place to escape to. She had memories of spending her summers here when she was young. Her father would build sand castles with her and her mother wiped the ice cream off her face. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

"Why are you here?" Hermione asked softly when Andromeda appeared at her side. "Why do you keep doing this?"

"Because I can't give up on you." Andromeda's hand slipped into Hermione's. "I love you too much."

"Everyone else has given up on me. I would too, if I were them. We both know what I've done. Molly showed me the graves. I looked down at the headstones of people who used to be my friends. They're dead because of me. Because of what I became, what I am." She clenched her jaw. "You shouldn't be here, Andy. You should be out there somewhere, far away from me. Who's to say I won't destroy you like I've destroyed everyone else?"

"Hermione…"

"LEAVE!" Hermione shouted bitterly and looked at Andromeda. The older woman seemed taken aback by her sudden outburst and took a couple of steps away from her. Angry tears cascaded down Hermione's cheeks. "I don't want you near me anymore. GO!"

"You know I'll never leave you," Andromeda promised before turning on the spot. She disappeared, leaving only the sound of the waves and the seagulls behind.

She reappeared near a different coastline, on the other side of the country. The Scottish coastline was far less peaceful than the Cornish one. The skies were grey, rain clouds had packed together and a fine drizzle came down. The wind was stronger here. Everything about this place breathed a desolate atmosphere, a place where no one came to seek happiness or comfort. It was the perfect place for a prison and that was exactly why Falcon Island had been created here.

It was quite similar to Azkaban prison. Falcon Island was just that, an island. It had been erected from the sea and like it's North Sea counterpart, the island consisted solely of rocks. But unlike Azkaban, ot was a larger complex. Where Azkaban was a tower, Falcon Island had been designed onto smaller buildings. The island was bigger too, with the buildings all being in walking distance of each other. Every building had a different security regime but one thing was sure; once somebody was in, there was no way of getting out. Before the mass outbreak, Azkaban had not been protected by a magical shield that prevented anyone who broke out from Dissaparating. Falcon Island did have this protection and Azkaban did too these days. There truly wasn't a more secure place in the world.

Andromeda walked down along the narrow path that led from the top of the cliffs to the beach below. As she walked, the wind picked up and the clouds only grew darker. In the distance she thunder rumbled. A storm was coming. She reached the shore and looked around. They didn't use guards like they did at Azkaban. She closed her eyes and raised her wand. As she did so, the water in front of her began to recede, exposing a hidden boat. It drifted up to the surface until it danced across the waves. The water returned to its original shape, the waves crashing violently against the surrounding rocks. Andromeda climbed into the boat, tapped the rope that was attached to it and sat back as the boat began to move.

Ten minutes later she moored the boat at the shores of the desolate island. Her feet made contact with the rocky soil and she looked around. There were guards here. Aurors patrolled the grounds, their eyes peeled for anything out of the ordinary. Their faces were stoic. It took a particular type of person to work here. Someone immune to the sounds and wails of those imprisoned here. Falcon Island was perhaps not as cruel as Azkaban had been, but it wasn't a holiday destination either.

"Madame Black," said one of the Aurors when he discovered Andromeda walking towards him. "There's a storm coming. It is probably unwise to be here."

"I know." Andromeda shivered. "But right now, this is the place where I need to be."

"You've come to see her so soon?"

"Yes," Andromeda replied. "Did everything go to plan?"

"From what I've heard, they needed to use restraints. She's been kicking and screaming ever since she got here. Your daughter cast a Silencing charm to give us all a break."

Andromeda smirked. "I wouldn't have expected anything less from Bellatrix." Her eyes darted around the island. "Is she in the secure ward?"

The Auror shook his head. "Solitary confinement, Madame. Your daughter thought it was for the best."

Andromeda nodded and walked across the island. The buildings around here were built out of black brick. Each building was large enough to house ten prisoners at a time, all in small cells. Each cell had a window, allowing in minute amounts of daylight. Food and water were delivered through a small hatch in the metal doors. The security levels varied per building, from low to high. Most of the cells were full but there were still a few places available. Andromeda carried on walking past the maximum security block, where she had expected to find Bellatrix, and eventually reached the smallest of the buildings towards the back of the island. There were only five cells here, without windows and a door that was bolted down to the ground and locked with every security spell imaginable. Prisoners here didn't get social interaction and spent twenty-three hours a day in darkness. For one hour every day, the guards would allow them day light through a small hatch in the wall. Other than that they were alone, confined to the madness and darkness of their own mind.

"Mum?"

Andromeda looked up when she recognised her daughter's voice. Tonks just left the small building and seemed surprised to see her mother. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to see her," Andromeda said. "And there's something I need you to do for me."

Tonks' eyes narrowed. "Where's Hermione?"

"Cornwall," Andromeda answered. "I need you to find her, bring her back to the Weasley Cottage and keep her there. Molly shouldn't be too much longer." Her dark brown eyes reflected hope. "If we're going to do this we have to get it right."

"Where's Brighid?" Tonks wearily asked. "Why isn't she with you?" When her mother didn't answer her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hand. "She didn't…."

"It's not what you think," Andromeda said slowly. "I'll explain everything when I get back to the cottage. Go! Find Hermione. I don't think she will have gone far." She remembered the broken expression etched across the brunette's face. It hurt to leave her but she didn't have a choice. "Take her to the cottage. I'll be with you in a couple of hours."

"Did Hermione kill Brighid?" Tonks demanded. "_Did she kill her_?!"

"Yes," Andromeda admitted. "But not for the reasons you think."

"What other reasons could she possibly have? She hasn't changed at all, mum! She's playing you like she played all of us!"

"We'll talk about this later," Andromeda said through gritted teeth. "Find her, bring her back and I promise we'll talk when I get back!"

"You have lost your mind," Tonks sighed and pushed past her mother without looking back. Andromeda turned to see her daughter walk into the direction of the shore and she sighed. She slowly turned back to the small building and climbed the few steps that led to the metal entrance doors. She pushed against them and they gave way without a problem. Andromeda stepped into the dark corridor, illuminated only by a couple of torches. It felt as if she had stepped into the dungeons of an old castle. It was deadly quiet.

She remembered the Auror telling her that Tonks had cast a Silencing Charm and she flicked her wand. What followed was a cacophony of sound. Bellatrix was screaming, her voice echoing off the stone walls. She heard the distinct rattling of chains. Carefully as not to give her presence away, Andromeda walked along the corridor towards the cell at the end. The door was securely locked and the hatch that would allow in some light was closed. There was nothing but darkness. Her breath hitched as she placed the tip of her wand against the door, followed the line of locks and listened as one after the other opened. The door squeaked as she slowly opened it.

"Lumos," she whispered before stepping into the pitch black cell. The silver glow of light almost immediately lit up Bellatrix's face. She was chained to the wall furthest away from her with one arm. Her other was free to move, allowing her space to wander around. Her eyes were black and her face contorted into a mask of hatred when she discovered her sister. She spat at her but missed.

"Well, well, well," Andromeda said slowly. "Look what we have here. Bellatrix Lestrange, caged and chained like a common animal." Her eyebrows shot up and a smirk spread across her face. In that moment she looked almost like her sister's mirror image. "I hope you're not afraid of the dark?"

"You know this isn't going to stop me," Bellatrix screamed. "I will get out of this!"

"Unless you plan on chewing your own wrist off, I don't see how," Andromeda stated. "You don't have a wand, you can't use magic…" She paused and took a step towards Bellatrix, keeping her eyes fixed on the one hand her sister was free to use. "Oh, and you don't have Hermione to save your arse out of here."

Bellatrix moved as fast as lightening and attempted to grab Andromeda's throat. Her younger sister was quicker and pushed Bellatrix away from her with such force that the raven haired witch smacked against the wall. Andromeda rushed over to her and pinned her body down against the cold stone. Bellatrix's face was pressed against the wall and with Andromeda's weight against her body, she couldn't move. Andromeda's fingers threaded Bellatrix's curls, forcing her head still. The other hand grabbed hold of her sister's waist.

"Haven't we been in this position before?" Bellatrix mocked. She licked her lips. "I'm sure you remember?"

"Oh I remember," Andromeda breathed into Bellatrix's ear. "I remember how you made me so angry that I attacked you…" She swallowed hard as familiar feelings began to stir in her stomach. "I know what you did that night. You _wanted_ it to happen. You got your way, just like you always got your way. I wanted to walk away from you but in the end I only fell deeper into your trap."

"You wanted it to," Bellatrix purred. "You could have walked away, love, but you didn't. Instead you chose to stay…" A throaty chuckle escaped her. "We both know what happened next."

Andromeda's body stiffened. Bellatrix always had a sick way of getting what she wanted. The night she was referring to was the night she had first attempted to put a stop to what they were doing. It was never supposed to happen, they were never supposed to get in this deep, but once again Bellatrix had proven that there was no way of escaping the poison once it was in her veins. They'd fought like animals, with Andromeda eventually getting the upper hand and pinning her sister against the bedroom wall. When Bellatrix laughed, the anger had taken over. She'd set out to hurt her sister, really hurt her, but had ended up giving her the greatest pleasure of all.

"You and me, we were doomed to fail," Andromeda whispered into Bellatrix's curls. The hand that rested on her sister's waist twitched, as if with a mind of its own. Andromeda bit down on her tongue, tasting her own blood, as she pulled her hand away, stopping herself from doing something she knew she'd regret. She couldn't let herself fall into this trap a second time.

Bellatrix managed to turn her head just enough for their eyes to meet. "You know you want to."

"I do," Andromeda confessed. "After all these years and everything you've done, you still control me like no other." She straightened her spine and stepped away from her sister, releasing her. Bellatrix spun around, a smug grin plastered across her face. Andromeda shook her head. "But I'm different now, Bella. I'm not the girl I used to be, defenceless under your hands. I found what was missing, I found what I needed." Her eyes darkened. "And it's not you."

"If you say so," Bellatrix whispered. "Keep lying to yourself, Andy. Keep telling yourself that you've found something, someone, else. We both know that not even Hermione can give you what I gave you,"

Andromeda's eyes hardened. "She's giving me something you never could. Happiness."

"After all of this? After all she's done to you, to this world, you still believe you're going to get your happy ever after?" Bellatrix chuckled. "Come on, Andy. Not even you can be this gullible. You know she's never going to be truly yours."

"She will be one day," Andromeda hissed and her wand shot up. "When you're dead!"

Bellatrix seemed slightly taken aback by her sister's outburst of anger. "You wouldn't…"

"There is _nothing_ I wouldn't do anymore," Andromeda replied as she retreated to the door. Bellatrix attempted to reach her but the chain wasn't long enough and her body was roughly pulled back to the wall. Pain flashed across her face and Andromeda's gaze dropped down long enough to see the bloodied gashes on Bellatrix's wrist. "I told you, Bellatrix. I'm not giving up on her. But I've given up on you."

She stepped out of the cell and closed the door behind her. She made sure to secure all the locks and placed the Silencing Charm on Bellatrix's new home. She walked away, down the darkened corridor, with a hint of a smile across her face and when she stepped out of the building and into the violently pouring rain, she felt like she had finally won.


	13. Genesis

**Author's note:** Hey guys, sorry for the massive delay. Life changed into a rollercoaster and unfortunately it hasn't been a very pleasant ride. My health took a bit of a turn and it put me in hospital for a little while. I'm much better now but get tired a lot and quite quickly however I found out that going back to my writing helps to focus my mind so today I sat down and just started. I hope you guys enjoy the result.

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**Chapter 13**

**Genesis**

The task of finding Hermione had seemed almost impossible. With only the knowledge that she was somewhere in Cornwall to go on, Tonks appeared not far from the small fishing village of Mevagissey. The skies were dark, signalling the storm wasn't far away, and she could hear the waves crashing around the walls surrounding the harbour. She had no idea where to start. Cornwall was big and although once she'd caught scent of some form of magic, Hermione would be easy to trace, she would have to find the magic first. She drew her wand and whispered the incantation under her breath. It was a Tracking Spell that would latch itself to any form of magic it encountered, binding her to the person who had used it. She only hoped there were no other witches or wizard around.

Her wand suddenly gave a firm tug down to the right, down a narrow side street and towards the harbour. It began to glow warm in her hand and Tonks looked down. The distinct light blue orb floated a little in front of her and she smiled. The spell had detected magic. Someone around here had a wand and had just used it. Her heart pounded in her chest as she increased her pace, running silently across the cobbled path between the two buildings.

She had reached the harbour. Fishing boats were bouncing up and down as the waves came and went. A strong stench of fish penetrated her nose and it turned her stomach. Tonks squinted into the darkness and discovered the lone figure standing near the edge of the harbour, looking out over the fishing boats. Slowly she began walking over to the small dock, feeling very conscious there was a large pub behind her that was full of people, even at this time of night. In the distance thunder rumbled and the first drops of rain began to fall.

As she came closer Tonks recognised the lone individual and she released her breath in relief. The young brunette was undoubtedly Hermione. She stood with her shoulders dropped and her head bent, as if she was praying, staring down into the dark waters below her. Tonks flexed her fingers before tightening her grip on her wand. It was aimed at Hermione's back but she hoped she wouldn't have to use it.

"Hermione."

Slowly the younger witch turned around. In the dim glow of a street light Tonks could see the torment in her eyes. "Go away."

"You know I can't do that."

"Did she send you?"

"My mother?" Tonks asked and watched as the mention of Andromeda brought the tiniest glimmer of hope to Hermione's eyes. "Yes." She paused. "She asked me to bring you home."

"I know you'd rather kill me," Hermione said softly and slowly turned her head away. "I don't see why you shouldn't."

For a moment, Tonks was lost for words. The young woman she saw her looked nothing like the Hermione she had seen before. Hermione looked deflated and lost, as if all energy had been drained from her body and only an empty shell remained. Was this what losing Bellatrix had done to her? Was this what she became when she was separated from the dark witch, left alone to dwell in the emotions and feelings inside her? Or was it because she knew there was nothing left to hold on to and that all she would feel from now on was guilt?

"What I want to do doesn't matter right now," Tonks said softly. "My mother wants me to bring you home and I do what she asks of me, even if I don't understand why." She swallowed. "She's always had a different way of looking things. Sometimes she sees something I can't and that's why we don't always get on. But I trust her, even if I don't always see eye to eye with her. She's my mother and I love her." The words weighed heavy on the tip of her tongue. "And despite everything, she loves you."

"How do you do it?" Hermione asked as she briskly wiped a stray tear from her cheek. "How do you stand there talking to me, knowing what I've done, and still feel like you can save me?"

"I don't think I can save you," Tonks admitted. "I think you're lost."

Hermione turned slightly. "Then why are you here?"

"Because my mother believes she can."

Hermione sadly smiled. "Andromeda has already lost too much."

"Everyone has lost too much, Hermione."

"Not anymore. This has to end somewhere." Hermione averted her eyes and stared back at the dark ocean in front of her. The water had a strong undercurrent, dragging everything that fell into it straight back out to the open see. The surface reflected the golden glow of light from the street lamps and in the distance she heard the laughter of people in the pub. A seagull cried over her head, alarmed by the approaching thunder. The wind picked up and the drops of rain grew thicker. The storm was coming.

Before Tonks could speak, Hermione disappeared. For a split second she thought she'd Dissaparated but the harrowing splash of water instantly told her differently. A throttled outcry of horror escaped her as she rushed to the edge of the dock and stared down into the dark waters below. The water was rippled but the waves instantly hid where Hermione had fallen. Tonks' eyes desperately searched the surface of the water and when she couldn't see Hermione she looked around before taking a deep breath and plunging down into the bitter cold water.

It took her breath away and the salt stung in her eyes. She kicked to reach the surface and when she broke through she took another desperate breath of air. The current was strong, pulling at her legs and she felt her body be pulled away from the side. She looked around, desperate for a sign of Hermione, but it was too dark for her to see. In a desperate attempt to find the young woman Tonks disappeared under water and forced her eyes to stay open, no matter how much it hurt. The water was murky and she could barely see. She extended her arm and mentally willed the spell out of her. The tip of her wand lit up, casting a harrowing silver glow below the water, but it was enough for her to see. Her heart stopped when she saw a shadow disappear underneath one of the fishing boats.

Tonks swam back to the surface, took in another deep breath of air and disappeared under again. With the light from her wand guiding her she found her way to the fishing boat where she'd seen the shadow and frantically looked around. The salt was making her eyes burn and her brain felt like it was about to implode with every second she held her breath. She was about to give up when she caught a glimpse of a face in the darkness. With a last burst of energy she dived down deeper until she reached the bottom and found Hermione's body lying motionless and with her eyes wide open on the sand. Tonks reached out a hand and grabbed the brunette's jumper before kicking as fast and as hard as she could to reach the surface.

Her lungs eagerly took in the oxygen when she reappeared and she coughed and spluttered as she attempted to reach the edge. When she looked up she noticed there were people standing on the side. A few had rushed down the ramp and were waiting for her to hand Hermione over. She knew she couldn't leave the brunette and now magic was impossible because of the Muggles. Fear overwhelmed her and she managed to reach the side where two strong men immediately hoisted Hermione out of the water and put her flat on her back. One tilted back her head as the other placed his hands on her chest.

A woman draped a blanket over her shoulders as Tonks climbed out of the water. The pain in her eyes and her head was excruciating and she panted as she dropped down to her knees beside Hermione. She looked ghostly pale and her eyes lacked any sign of life. The two men were taking it in turns to massage her heart in the hope they could bring her back. Gasps of fear and horror rose up from the audience anxiously watching on and in the distance the sound of wailing sirens approached.

"Please come back," Tonks whispered as she grabbed Hermione's ice cold hand. She brought it up tp her face and kissed it. "Please… please… don't leave… You'll break her heart… please… please…" She realised there were tears streaming down her face only when they dropped onto Hermione's hand. "Please don't die."

"What happened?" a voice in the crowd called. "Did she fall in?!"

"Someone said she jumped in. Tried to kill herself," answered a woman.

Tonks tried not to listen to them. Her eyes were peeled on Hermione. "I know you think this is the way to redeem yourself but you're wrong," she whispered. "I know the guilt about what you have done is unbearable but this isn't the way, Hermione. You know she loves you. She would do anything for you to be with her for the rest of her life. If you want this to end then fight it with us but don't do this. It will destroy her." Her breath chocked as a horrifying thought hit her. "It will destroy both of them."

There was a horrible sound was water gushed out of Hermione's mouth followed by a ragged intake of breath. Around them the crowd gasped in relief as the young brunette followed her first breath by a second and then a third and rolled onto her side as more water followed by vomit poured from her body. She coughed and cried in pain and Tonks instinctively reached to comfort her. She wished she could somehow make the crowd disappear, so she could bring Hermione home, but she would have to wait.

A mere two minutes later an ambulance pulled up and the two paramedics came running out with a stretcher. Tonks explained what had happened and they did some tests before loading Hermione onto the stretcher. The female paramedic gave Tonks a once-over as she established she bright pink haired woman was clearly somehow related to their patient and allowed her to join her in the ambulance. Her male colleague got behind the wheel and within fifteen minutes they had left the harbour. Tonks rested her head against the wall as the blonde haired paramedic shone a light in Hermione's eyes.

She waited until she turned her back on her before reaching into her sleeve and drawing her wand. Her eyes were fixed on Hermione's face and the brunette's eyes widened the second before Tonks' spell hit the paramedic in the back. The woman's eyes glazed over and she sat down, her hands folded in her lap. Tonks swallowed as she walked past the stretcher and knocked the small window separating the cabin. Almost instantly the engine stopped and the small window opened.

"Everything OK back there?"

Tonks merely aimed her wand at the guy and uttered the spell. He blankly stared back at her as she erased his memory and told him that in ten minutes from now he would return to the hospital with the news that when they arrived at the scene it was a false alarm. She turned back to his female companion and told her the same thing before helping Hermione up from the stretcher, opening the ambulance doors and stepping out of the vehicle. Without hesitation she turned on the spot and disappeared into the darkness, leaving the two paramedics behind in a state of confusion.

They reappeared right outside the Weasley cottage and Tonks banged her fist against the door. She'd draped Hermione's arm around her shoulder and the brunette's weight rested on her. The door swung open and revealed Andromeda, who looked panicked. When she saw her daughter and Hermione she ran over to them and took Hermione into her own arms before carrying her inside. Arthur, who had been sitting at the kitchen table, immediately came over as Andromeda lay Hermione down on the sofa.

"What happened?" Andromeda asked and looked over her shoulder at her daughter. Tonks had dark rings around her eyes and looked almost as pale as Hermione.

"She tried to kill herself."

Andromeda's eyes welled up with tears. "What?"

"I found her in a harbour," Tonks whispered as she dropped down to her knees by Hermione. "I was trying to talk to her and… suddenly…" Tears began trickling down her cheeks. "She just jumped into the water. I went in after her but I couldn't find her and… and…" Her voice broke. "When I did she was…. She wasn't breathing…"

"Oh my God," Andromeda breathed and leaned in to kiss Hermione's forehead. It was cold and she brushed a damp curl out of her face. "You foolish girl."

Tonks looked at Arthur in despair. "Is Molly back yet?"

"She sent her Patronus ahead saying she shouldn't be much longer," he answered softly before looking at Hermione. "I don't think they should see her like this."

"I agree."

Andromeda took her wand and ran the tip over Hermione's body. Instantly the brunette's hair dried, followed by her clothes. She whispered spell after spell under her breath, slowly bringing back the colour on Hermione's cheeks and after a few minutes a spark of life really ignited in her eyes. Hermione looked up at Andromeda and when she recognised the dark brown eyes she sat up unexpectedly and wrapped her arms around Andromeda's neck. They held each other as if it was their last moment on Earth.

After about ten minutes Andromeda and Hermione let go of each other and Andromeda carefully pushed her daughter into the kitchen where she dried her clothes and her hair. Now that she was warm and dry, Tonks found the energy to ask her mother about the other part of their plan. Surprisingly green eyes found her mother's brown. "Did you see her?"

Andromeda glanced back into the living room where Hermione now sat up. "I did," she said softly. "It's just as we thought."

"She's back to her normal self."

"Completely."

"What does this mean?"

"It means that, unless she's securely locked up, Bellatrix will be the same danger she has always been. Although this time she has an even better to hate every single one of us." Andromeda swallowed. "I killed Narcissa and I took Hermione. If Bellatrix wants one thing, it will be my heart. If my sister is ever freed from prison, she will surely want to kill me."

"Is the magic strong enough to contain her?" Tonks wanted to know.

"Time will tell," Andromeda didn't sound certain. "Nothing is ever what it seems with Bellatrix."

Tonks looked past her mother at the young witch sitting in the living room. "What about the Flames of Destiny? Do you really think that they showed Hermione she would have to kill Bellatrix?"

Andromeda sighed. "I'm afraid so."

"Why? How can you be so certain?"

Andromeda sadly averted her eyes. "I know Hermione loves me, Nymphadora. I believe she would give her life for me but I can only think of one other person Hermione would be prepared to die for if it meant that person gets to live."

"Bellatrix."

Andromeda quietly nodded. "Yes. Bellatrix."

Tonks ran her fingers through her now dry hair and glanced out of the kitchen window. Rain was lashing against the glass. "What are we going to do? The Flames of Destiny have shown Hermione what she needs to do if she wants all of this to end, one way or another. We know it is a task she can never complete."

"Do you remember the prophecy that was made about Harry and Lord Voldemort?" Andromeda asked her daughter.

"Neither can live whilst the other survives."

"Neither can live whilst the other survives," Andromeda repeated and her voice was strangely hollow. "The same applies to us, Nymphadora. It isn't about Hermione anymore. It's about me and Bellatrix." She straightened her spine and fought back the tears that burnt behind her eyes. "One of us is going to have to kill the other. Only one of us can survive."

"But that means…."

"It means I have to kill Bellatrix or Bellatrix will have to kill me." Andromeda stared back into the living room. Hermione had stood up from the sofa. The longing in her heart filled her both with love and dread. "And whoever takes the others life, will lose everything for Hermione loves us both. Whoever kills the other, will never get her forgiveness. If I kill Bellatrix, Hermione will turn away from me and grieve the woman she lost. If Bellatrix kills me, Hermione will abandon her too. We have only one choice but both of us are going to lose the one thing we can't live without."

Tonks was about to speak but the door to the cottage opened and Molly appeared. She removed her travelling cloak and threw it onto the nearest kitchen chair before stepping aside and revealing two dark clad figures, wrapped up in similar cloaks. Slowly they removed their hoods as they stepped into the warmth and comfort of the cottage. The man and the woman looked relieved to be out of the storm but they seemed apprehensive about their new surroundings. When their eyes fell on Andromeda and Nymphadora, Andromeda recognised fear in the woman's eyes.

"You found them!" Tonks said softly and wrapped her arms around Molly's neck in relief.

"Andy, I'd like you to meet Jonathan and Karen Granger," Molly said as she introduced them. "They're…"

"My parents."

Everyone turned around when Hermione's voice came from the doorway leading to the living room. The brunette's gaze was fixed on the two travellers standing in the kitchen. In the blink of an eye dozens of emotions flashed through her; from hurt and relief to betrayal and anger to eventually sadness and confusion. She clutched the doorframe and her eyes darted from her parents to Andromeda, who rushed to her side and took her arm.

"Hermione." Karen Granger's voice was soft and thick with tears. She tentatively took a few steps across the kitchen towards her daughter but stopped when she noticed Hermione stepped away from her, almost hiding herself behind Andromeda's body. The older woman looked from Hermione to her mother and apologetically stepped aside, forcing Hermione to face her mother.

"Why did you do this?" Hermione asked, her eyes following Andromeda across the kitchen. "You knew I didn't want to see them! You knew I didn't want them to know about me!"

"Hermione, darling," Jonathan began. "Molly told us everything."

"You did what?!" Hermione snapped, her eyes now blazing with anger. "You told them?!"

"We had to, Hermione," Andromeda said softly. "There's something you need to understand."

"You had no right to do this," Hermione hissed, her eyes full of anger. "You had no…"

"Hermione, Andromeda is right," her mother interrupted her. The voice of Karen Granger had a tone only the voice of a parent could carry; soft and yet convincing and still laced with hope and lack of judgment. If she knew what her daughter had done, what she had become, she did not condemn her. Carefully she took a step in Hermione's direction. "There is something you need to know. Something that will help you understand why this happened, why _all _of this happened."

Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at her parents in shock. "What are you saying?"

Karen Granger took a deep breath. "Years ago, Minerva McGonagall came to see us. She told us about you, about what you are."

"A witch," Hermione remembered. "The evening of my eleventh birthday. She came with my Hogwarts letter."

Karen shook her head in sadness. "No, Hermione. She came a long time before that. You were only a baby, barely six months old. You slept in my arms as she spoke to us."

Hermione's heart missed a beat. Her parents had lied to her all her life. They had known she was a witch for years before Minerva McGonagall told her. They had kept it a secret, pretended they didn't know. Every time she asked them why she was different they told her they didn't know. "You lied?!"

"We didn't lie, Hermione," Jonathan told his daughter. "Minerva made us promise we didn't tell you until we believed you were old enough to understand. We had to know you were ready."

"Ready for what?" Hermione demanded to know. "Ready for _WHAT_?!"

"The truth."


	14. The Stars Align

**Author's note: **I am not entirely happy with how this turned out as the idea worked better in my head. I tried I rewrite the scene twice, with this being the best result. So let me know what you think...

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**Chapter 14**

**The Stars Align**

They had all walked into the Weasley living room and steaming mugs of tea stood on the small coffee table. Silence lingered. For a moment everyone was lost in their own thoughts as outside the rain hammered down on the roof. Hermione sat beside Andromeda, the older witch's hand on top of her own. The touch was soft and gentle, something she could hold on to. Her parents sat across from her, both staring down at the floor. Jonathan clutched his mug of tea but Karen picked at her fingernails. Tonks sat on the armrest of the sofa and Molly and Arthur had summoned two chairs from the kitchen.

"Perhaps it is best if we start at the beginning," Andromeda said carefully. Her words cut through the silence and everyone looked up, instantly reminded of the reason they were here. She glanced at Hermione. "She needs to know."

"How long have you known about this?" Hermione interjected. Her hand twitched underneath Andromeda's but the older woman's grip tightened and she didn't pull away.

"Not long," Andromeda answered honestly. "But I suspected something for a little while."

"And you didn't tell me?"

"She couldn't, Hermione," Karen said. "Not unless she knew the full story and she didn't." She swallowed hard and chewed the inside of her cheek. "She didn't know until Molly came to look for us in Australia. We told her when she started asking questions and she told Andromeda. We… we weren't sure if we'd be doing the right thing by coming back but Molly said it would be the best for everyone if we did."

Hermione held her head up with pride but the cracks were clearly visible. "Then tell me now," she pleaded.

Karen Granger's eyes found those of her daughter. When Hermione was little she used to think how much Hermione looked like her but now she wasn't so sure. She didn't recognise the young woman sitting across from her. The little girl she had raised so lovingly was gone and she'd been replaced by someone, something, she didn't know. Anguish filled her chest as she remembered the night the story was first told to her. They had still been floating on their pink little cloud. Hermione had been the perfect baby. She slept through the night after just two weeks and she hardly ever cried. It wasn't until they learned why that they realised that their daughter wasn't like any of the other children. She was never going to be.

"When you were born, we were the happiest people alive," Karen said softly. "You were perfect. People used to comment on how good you were, not waking us in the middle of the night. After a little while we got used to having you and our life couldn't be any better." Her eyes glazed over as the memory of a late night in March 1980 came back to her. "You were six months old when there was a knock on our door one night. It was almost ten o'clock and I'd given you your last feed. We were about to take you to bed but your father answered the door." She glanced at her husband. "Outside stood a woman who introduced herself as Minerva McGonagall and she said she had something to tell us we would very likely not want to believe."

"Minerva?" Hermione breathed. The memory of the Headmistress was a painful one. She remembered the betrayal, how she had lied to the woman who had always supported her. "Why did she come to you then?"

Jonathan cleared his throat. "She asked if she could come in and apologised for the inconvenience of the late hour. When she entered the living room I remember her looking at you. I have never seen anyone look so sad when they laid eyes on a child."

Hermione frowned. "What did she tell you?"

"Something nobody would have believed if she hadn't been standing there in front of us," Karen answered. "She told us you would grow up to be a witch, like her. We didn't believe her and I asked your father to show her to the door but she merely waved her hand and produced the most stunning white roses I have ever seen." A single tear glistened in her eyes as she remembered how the flowers had landed gracefully in a crystal vase. "Minerva said that one day you would discover magic too but that, right now, you were too you to know."

"So you knew I was a witch," Hermione said sharply. "And you never told me. All those years where the kids in normal schools bullied me because I was different and you didn't tell me it was because of what I am?"

"Minerva made us promise not to tell you until your eleventh birthday," Jonathan said softly and glanced at his wife.

Hermione's eyes narrowed. "That's not all of it, is there?"

"Hermione…"

"What else did she tell you? You said she told you something that could explain what happened to me, why all of this happened to everyone!" Hermione's voice echoed her anger and resentment. Her hand clenched underneath Andromeda's, nails digging into the flesh of her thigh. The anger that simmered inside of her slowly reached the surface. "What did she tell you?!"

"Minerva told us a story about something that happened a long time ago," Karen began. "A few hundred years ago there was an old wizard who claimed he could see the future. His name was Bartholomew Sandrich, but most people knew him as Bartholomew the Wise. People from all over the country came to him, looking for answers to their questions. On his death bed, Bartholomew made one final prophecy. He told the story of the Chosen One, the One who would possess both Good and Evil within one heart. This child, he said, would change the course of history but for that the child would pay the price. They would never be happy for if they made one choice, the other would haunt them for the rest of their lives. This child was the line between Good and Evil, the one that stood between the two. If it moved towards the side of Good, the world would know peace. If it fell into Evil, the world would fall into darkness."

Hermione stared at her mother in shock. "And you're saying…"

"Minerva McGonagall told us that Albus Dumbledore was convinced the child was you." Jonathan peered at his daughter through his eyelashes. "Bartholomew drew a map of the stars he predicted would align the night the child was born. It was this map that made people doubtful of the prophecy because it seemed impossible that the stars would ever be able to form this shape at exactly the right time and place. They believed it to the ailing of an old man, confronted by death. For a long time the Prophecy was forgotten about. It became a story, a myth."

Hermione ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "This can't be…" Her heart was racing. "Minerva would have said…"

Karen shook her head. "That night she showed us a map of the stars that Bartholomew drew. She then showed us a map of the stars from the night you were born." Her hand slipped into the pocket of her coat and she took out two rolled up pieces of parchment. Both looked weathered by the hands of time and she put them down on the table.

Hermione stared at them and when she reached out to pick them up she noticed her hands were shaking. Carefully she unrolled the first piece of parchment, revealing a detailed map of the skies. The constellations were all drawn out and her eyes darted over some of the familiar names. She felt a sharp pang of pain when she spotted the name Bellatrix, the third brightest star in the constellation of Orion. Tears welled up in her eyes. Her gaze was then drawn to another constellation that stood out. The name Andromeda was written through it in fine calligraphy. Hermione's fingers ghosted over both names, struck by how much they meant to her.

But in the middle of the picture was the drawing made by Bartholomew and when her gaze fixed on it, Hermione's heart stopped. Three individual large stars had been pointed out in three different places. They had no names and didn't seem to belong to any of the many constellations drawn out. It was as if they were lonely stars, not connected to anything. But it was their position that made her heart freeze. One single star at the top and two a bit lower down. Between them, Bartholomew had drawn three lines. The shape was a perfect triangle.

"Impossible," Hermione gasped and she shook her head. "This can't be."

"Look at the second one," Andromeda encouraged her. She'd noticed how Hermione's fingers had lingered both on the names Bellatrix and Andromeda. She picked up the second piece of parchment and gave it to Hermione who carefully unrolled it. She smoothed it out and put it down next to the map drawn by Bartholomew. It only took a single glance to see that they were identical.

Andromeda's eyes found Hermione's. She saw the turmoil and recognised the fear. "This map was drawn by a wizard who watched the stars on the night of September 19th, 1979."

"The night that I was born."

A lonely tear chased down Hermione's cheek and she looked down at her wrist. The scar left behind by the mark of the Three Cores was unmistakable. A perfect triangle. Three pieces coming together as one, finding each other. An unlikely fate but it seemed that the universe had been the one to create it. She swallowed hard and looked up at her parents.

"So Minerva believed I was the child from the Prophecy?"

Karen nodded. "Yes. She explained to us that, according to the legend, you were destined to be the force behind both Good and Evil. Whatever choice you made, that side would be successful. She then told us the story of Lord Voldemort and his followers and what he was doing to her world. She explained to us that what he did would be nothing compared to…" She felt the bile in the back of her throat. "….to what you would do if you fell into the Darkness."

Hermione's stomach turned. "She knew?"

"She tried to protect you, Hermione!" Jonathan interjected. "She explained to us that if we didn't act, you'd grow up conflicted and torn. You'd never know happiness unless you were to stay on one side. The world had already suffered because of Voldemort. She wasn't going to let you grow up to become like him." He averted his gaze. "So she put a spell on you."

"Minerva hexed me?!" Hermione shrieked and leapt to her feet. Andromeda's hand slipped away from hers and the maps that had been lying in her lap fell to the floor. Tears now raced down her cheeks. "You let her hex me?!"

"We had no choice, Hermione," Karen said desperately. "If we hadn't accepted her help, you would have grown up to be a monster."

"And what am I now?!"

Hermione's voice bounced off the walls as she stared at her parents in anger. The tears that cascaded down her face burnt her skin. Her heart hammered against her ribcage and her mind was a blur. The things she had been told only barely registered and she just wanted to get away from it all. Her eyes nervously darted around the room and she saw her escape. She ran out of the living room into the kitchen. When she tried the front door she realised that it was locked. Her eyes snapped around and she spotted the stairs. She ran up and slammed the door to the room where she had spent one night behind her. She reached the window and opened it, the same way she had done when she escaped from the cottage and ran to find Bellatrix. The rain poured into the room and a bright flash of lightening lit up the world outside. The wind howled around the house, pulling at her hair.

Hermione spun around when the door opened. Andromeda appeared, wand drawn, and she immediately saw the brunette standing by the open window.

"Don't do this," she pleaded as she walked into the room and closed the door behind her.

"What do you know?" Hermione snapped. "You lied to me!"

"I had to be sure that what I thought was true!" Andromeda explained. "I didn't know for sure until Molly went to find your parents. I had a feeling but I wouldn't be able to confirm it unless they told me. When Molly found them in Australia she sent me a message saying that my suspicions were correct. But I knew you didn't want to hear this from me. You needed to hear it from them."

"What, that I'm some kind of monster who was doomed from the moment she was born?" Hermione sneered. "No one needs to hear that, Andy. _No one."_

"We hoped it would help you understand, Hermione. None of this was your fault."

"Then whose fault was it?!"

"Minerva used a spell that placed a charm upon your darker side. The spell meant that it would remain dormant and your light side would prevail. I think the real test came when you went to Hogwarts and she placed the Sorting Hat on your head. Until that moment she had no way of knowing whether her spell had truly worked. If the Hat chose Slytherin, she had failed. If it chose Gryffindor…"

"She had succeeded." Hermione snorted. "Looks like she was wrong after all."

"Minerva believed she had done enough, Hermione. Nobody could have known that there would be a moment in your life that destroyed you in such a way that all your natural magic reached the surface at once."

"Ron."

Andromeda slowly nodded. "That night he broke the seal and your magic was freed. Bellatrix saw what lived inside of you and recognised it for what it was. She and Narcissa knew they were meant to be together but they also knew there was a part of them missing. The third wand belonged to someone very unlikely and it wasn't until your paths crossed that Bellatrix realised exactly why the third wand had chosen you. To the world you didn't appear to be a Dark one, but inside…"

"So you're saying the Darkness is inside me?" Hermione asked softly.

Andromeda nodded. "But so is the Light. You are the line between the two, the one that keeps the balance." She reached into her robes and took out another piece of parchment. "I found this when Molly told me the story. I contacted an old friend of my father who used to draw maps of the skies. He was a little odd but harmless nevertheless."

Hermione took the parchment and unrolled it. This piece was bigger and she realised there were two sets of skies drawn out. Her gaze fell instantly on the clear triangle shaped in the middle and her eyes snapped back up at Andromeda. "I thought you said I was the only one?"

"You're the only one who matches the one Bartholomew drew," Andromeda said softly. She pointed at the stars. Now that she looked more closely Hermione recognised that the shape wasn't identical to the one from the night she was born. The stars appeared smaller. "These are different from yours but the shape is the same. They form a triangle."

Hermione's heart skipped a beat and she let her index finger trace over the distinct lines. "When were these made?"

"June 21st 1951 and May 4th 1955." Andromeda's voice was soft and weak and tears glistened in her eyes. "The nights Bellatrix and Narcissa were born."

Hermione covered her face in her hands. "None of us stood a chance."

Andromeda carefully wrapped her arms around Hermione and pulled her closer. She gently kissed the brunette's hair and inhaled the familiar scent. "It seems that what happened between you and Bellatrix was written in the stars."

Hermione looked up. "And what about you and me?"

"We found our own way," Andromeda whispered as she brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's face. "Some things are meant to be in other ways."

Their lips found each other and Hermione kissed her lover with passion. It was as if the revelation had changed them as people and her hands eagerly roamed over Andromeda's body as she pushed the older woman towards the bed. Andromeda attempted to stop her, breaking the kiss and placing her hands against Hermione's shoulders. Dark eyes found each other.

"They're waiting for us…"

Hermione shook her head. "Let them wait."

"Hermione…"

"I said, _let them wait_!"

Hermione shoved Andromeda down onto the bed and hovered over her like a predator. In a flash Andromeda recognised that the darkness within her lover was still very much there and when she tried to scramble off the bed, Hermione moved in and pinned her down with her hands above her head. Andromeda gasped in horror as pain travelled down her arms. The young woman staring back at her wasn't the Hermione she knew. Something else, someone else, had woken up inside of her.

"Hermione, don't do this," Andromeda whispered as Hermione's grip on her wrist loosened and her hands began to travel down across her chest. She remembered the moment where she had cornered Hermione in Robur Castle, forcing her with her face against the cold hard wall. She wasn't proud of what she had done that day. She wasn't proud of many of the encounters she and Hermione had shared, especially the one in the office of the Minister of Magic while he lay dying on the floor. It seemed they had both crossed their boundaries and from what they had done there was no way back.

Hermione searched Andromeda's face with a predatory look in her eyes. "You want this."

"I want you," Andromeda breathed. "But not like this."

Hermione stepped away from the bed and her face fell. The shadows in her eyes slowly faded and she turned away as embarrassment and shame overwhelmed her. By the time Andromeda had gotten up from the bed Hermione was already at the door and the older woman quickly caught up with her, taking her arm and forcing her to turn around. Sad eyes met Andromeda's eyes and she slowly began to understand what was happening.

"This is what it's like," Hermione whispered. "When there's two sides of you, living inside you. Darkness and Light. Good and Evil." She closed her eyes as tears began to seep through her eyelashes. "It is a constant fight between both and sometimes…" She opened her eyes and looked down at Andromeda's wrist. She had grabbed it so firmly that purple bruises had begun to form. "I lose control."

"Hermione, I'm sorry," Andromeda whispered but Hermione freed herself from her grip and opened the door. She stepped onto the landing and dint look back at Andromeda.

"Yeah, I'm sorry too."


	15. Faded Scars

**Author's note:** It took me two days to get this chapter finished but now that it is, I am quite happy with it. And for those asking, the sentence towards the end of the chapter is written in Irish (I hope correctly) with the translation mentioned within that same sentence.

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**Chapter 15**

**Faded Scars**

The storm got stronger as the hours began to pass. The sky was ink lack and the thunder roared loudly as bright flashes of lightning briefly illuminated the faces of those sitting in the Weasley cottage living room. They were silent. Nobody knew of any words to say. The revelation about Hermione's link to Bellatrix and Narcissa had left people confused. Hermione herself stared at the rolls of parchment on the table, resisting the temptation to throw them all into the fire. Andromeda sat beside her, the older woman's hand rested protectively on Hermione's shoulder. A touch that was meant to be comforting stirred something else altogether deep down in the pit of Hermione's stomach.

The minutes past slowly and after what had felt like an eternity, Hermione stood up. The guilt over the way she had approached Andromeda earlier made her feel sick but she couldn't change the conflicted emotions inside of her. It was as if she was permanently engaged in a battle between her dark side and her light one, as if her heart was trying to choose but never got around to settling down. Only now did she understand her anger and her hatred but also her ability to love and care, to feel guilt as well as rage and express comfort as well as loathing.

"I need to talk to you," she said as she turned to Andromeda. Everybody else in the room looked up and Hermione felt that familiar anger coil inside her. "Alone."

Andromeda nodded and followed Hermione into the kitchen. She closed the door the living room behind her and turned to find the young brunette leaning against the table. Her conflicted emotions were etched across her face and when Hermione looked up, Andromeda could see the turmoil in her eyes.

"The prophecy," Hermione began and stared down at the floor. "Neither can live whist the other survives."

"Harry and Voldemort," Andromeda said softly. "But also me and Bellatrix."

Hermione shook her head. "It's not just you and Bellatrix. I think it's me."

"You?" Andromeda frowned. "What do you mean, you think it's about you?"

"According to the story about the stars, there are two sides of me. One good, one evil," Hermione answered and she felt the back of her throat become dry. "Dark and Light. _Neither _can live whilst the other survives. It wasn't just about Harry and Voldemort. It isn't just about you and Bellatrix. It's about me, about what I am. I can never live if both sides of me are allowed to be."

Andromeda took a step towards the younger witch. Hermione suddenly looked so fragile and so broken. The realisation that there were two sides to her that she couldn't control had shaken her up. She wanted to take that hurt away, make her feel safe and protected, but Andromeda knew there was very little she could do to change the way Hermione felt.

She reached Hermione and carefully slipped her arms around her waist, pulling her closer. Hermione's head now rested against Andromeda's chest and she listened to the soft, comforting heartbeat.

"Hermione…"

"If I want to live, I have to kill part of myself," Hermione whispered and quiet tears began to slide down her cheeks. "My heart…." She paused, remembering Bellatrix but then her eyes slowly drifted up until they met Andromeda's gaze. "Or my soul."

Andromeda's heart ached in her chest. Hermione was her soul mate. That part of them was meant to be together but Hermione's heart belonged to Bellatrix. They were the two missing pieces that fitted perfectly together. She reached up and brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's eyes before wiping the tears from her cheeks. She leaned in, pressing her lips against Hermione's forehead and closed her own eyes, hoping the tears wouldn't fall.

"So what are you going to do?"

"There is only one thing I can do," Hermione answered softly as she pressed herself a little tighter against Andromeda's body and inhaled her familiar scent. She felt safe. "I have to let nature take its course."

"Ok," Andromeda whispered into Hermione's hair. Her heart broke apart, piece by piece, as the pain began to overwhelm her. She knew this was the beginning of goodbye. If Hermione was ready to make her choice she knew there was nothing she could do to stop it. It was inevitable. She held the brunette a little tighter, longing for time to freeze and this moment to never end. She felt Hermione's soft lips against the side of her neck and she hoped, prayed, that she would at least be able to remember this moment when the time came.

Hermione looked up and saw the pain across Andromeda's face. Soft fingers brushed against the older woman's cheek, willing her to open her eyes. Then she leaned in, pressing her lips gently against Andromeda's and kissed her. As she did so she remembered how all of this had started as a deceit, a promise ti Bellatrix to break her sister in a way she had never been broken before. Now she knew why Bellatrix had wanted to see Andromeda suffer but nobody had expected that her soul would find its mate with her. It was what had started the more painful part of their battle. Suddenly it was no longer about power and being in control. It had become about love, about being complete and being alive.

Andromeda had given up everything to safe her. She had fought when others believed she had lost her mind and she never gave up, believing she could safe Hermione from the darkness and destruction. She was right. More than once had she dragged Hermione from the claws of hell, only to watch how she slipped back in. Andromeda symbolized everything that was good inside of her whereas Bellatrix symbolized everything that was dark; two faces that were so alike and yet so different. They were bound by blood, by love and by hatred.

"Take me to Falcon Island," Hermione said when she finally broke their kiss. She rested her forehead against Andromeda's. "Please."

"Why?"

"It is the only place that is right."

"Bellatrix is there," Andromeda replied.

"I know," Hermione said, a glimmer of hope echoing in her voice. "I need to see her."

"Why?"

Hermione didn't answer and Andromeda cocked her head when she noticed she also avoided eye contact. She let her fingers slip under Hermione's chin, forcing her to look up. "You don't know which one of us is going to die, do you?"

"Andy…"

"Do you?!"

Hermione's eyes swam with tears and she took a deep breath. "No, I don't."

Andromeda stepped away from Hermione and ran her fingers through her hair. She started pacing the kitchen. "Are you going to tell me exactly how you'll decide who lives and who dies?"

"I can't."

"You know, until now I thought it was Bellatrix," Andromeda admitted and there was a hint of anger in her voice. "When Nymphadora told me you tried to kill yourself, I was convinced it was because that way it meant Bellatrix got to live. And then I wondered about the prophecy and I thought that maybe you had come to the same conclusion I had. In order for you to live, I would have to kill Bellatrix or Bellatrix would have to kill me because neither can live whilst the other survives. I know you wouldn't be able to let that happen so with suicide you guaranteed that both of us would live."

"But the prophecy isn't about you and Bellatrix," Hermione interjected. "It's about me, about what I am. I can only live if one side of me dies." She took a step towards Andromeda and tried to take her hands but Andromeda pulled away. "Bellatrix resembles the darkness and you… you are everything that is good about me. You are the light within me!"

"Why can't you just choose?" Andromeda pleaded. A single tear slid down her cheek. "We can find another witch or wizard who can place that spell on you again and do what Minerva did. Then nobody has to die."

"Would you want that?" Hermione asked. "To know that you're living with someone who could change any moment if something trigged that darkness inside her? Would you sleep at night not knowing if I am still the same person by morning?" Tears glistened in her eyes but she set her jaw and firmly folded her arms across her chest. She was resolute. Hazel eyes found amber ones. "I wouldn't."

"Oh Hermione…."

The tears tasted salty on her lips and Hermione brushed them off. "I know," she admitted as she flung herself back into Andromeda's arms. This time she let her. "But we have no choice."

They stood like this for a little while before Hermione looked up. She could see the pain in Andromeda's eyes and inside she ached. This was happening because of her, because of what she was, and she knew there was nothing she could do to change it. This was what they had come to, an inevitable twist in the road they knew was coming. They had always known it. It was what had lead them here, what had brought them to this moment as well as leaving them covered in scars telling the silent story of their suffering. There was only one way forward, one way out. Death would have to choose.

"You should say goodbye."

"No." Andromeda shook her head. The last tears slid down her cheeks and she cupped Hermione's cheek. "It's best if they don't know."

"But…"

"It's what I want, Hermione. I cannot bear the thought of them sitting here, waiting for me to come home whilst knowing there is a chance I may not. I'd rather they find out tomorrow morning."

Hermione nodded. "I understand."

Andromeda reached into her pocket and drew her wand. She silently flicked it and two black travelling cloaks appeared. She gave one to Hermione and kept the other herself. Silently they put on the cloaks and Andromeda made sure they were water resistant. She flicked her wand a second time and Hermione's bag came whizzing down the stairs and landed on the kitchen table. The brunette glanced at it before meeting Andromeda's gaze.

"You're going to need it," the older woman said.

"You knew?"

Andromeda nodded. "Of course I knew. Did you really think I expected you to come back here after this is over, regardless of what happens? I know you'll want to run, Hermione, and I will not stop you." She lifted her head in an attempt to look graceful and strong. "If I cannot run with you…" She couldn't finish her sentence and focused instead on her wand.

Hermione swallowed. "I know."

Andromeda turned away and started for the door. Hermione quietly followed her and looked back over her shoulder one last time before stepping out into the pouring rain. Andromeda closed the door behind them and then reached for Hermione's hand. She took it and their fingers entwined. Hermione took a deep breath as she cleared her mind. Andromeda's eyes closed and she called up the image of the coastline that separated the mainland from Falcon Island and they vanished into the stormy night.

Waves crashed unforgivingly against the Scottish coastline and the bitter wind whipped around their faces. They stood at the top of the cliffs and slowly they began their descend down the narrow path. Hermione never let go of Andromeda's hand, fearing that the strong winds would separate them abd one of them would fall to their deaths. They didn't speak but walked in silence. Hermione looked up into the darkness spreading over the sea. She couldn't see anything that looked like a prison or an island.

Eventually they reached the beach and Andromeda walked briskly across the loose sand to the shoreline. Once there she raised her wand and Hermione looked on as the water began to recede, revealing a small boat. She turned to look at Hermione and helped her to get ib the small wooden boat. She then climbed in herself, flicked her wand to produce some ropes and made sure they were safely strapped in before the boat started its journey across the wild sea.

Hermione stared into the distance. Only now that the boat was moving through the darkness could she see the faint flickering of light. Small dots that slowly became bigger and brighter and eventually she could make out the shape of the rocky island. Her heart hammered in her chest, recognising that its other half was locked up between the walls of one of the many small buildings.

It took a further ten minutes until the small boat reached the island and Hermione waited for Andromeda to get out first. When she finally set foot on solid ground she immediately felt something inside her shift. Andromeda turned around and watched how Hermione's eyes darkened. Slowly the darkness inside of her reappeared and she placed both her hands on Hermione's shoulders.

"You can feel she's here, can't you?" she whispered and Hermione nodded.

"It's as if it's calling me."

"In a way it is," Andromeda said and brushed a strand of hair out of Hermione's eyes. "She's calling you the same way I am calling you. Only you can decide to whom you will answer." Soft fingers brushed along Hermione's cheek. "Whatever happens here tonight, know that I love you. I know that what we've been through can never be undone and if destiny should chose me as your lover then I promise you I will do everything I can to keep you safe. I cannot heal your scars but I can heal your wounds."

"You sound like you're ready to die," Hermione said quietly. The tears choked in the back of her throat.

"I am," Andromeda breathed and kissed Hermione softly. "I have known for quite some time that the only way out of this is by death, Hermione, no matter who's it is. If you have plenty of time to prepare yourself for the inevitable, you will be ready. After everything we've seen, what we've done, I am no longer afraid to die."

They slowly started walking onto the island and were soon approached by two Aurors. The two wizards recognised Andromeda immediately. Hermione, who had pulled up her hood, lowered her head as Andromeda told the two Aurors she was here to see her sister. The two Aurors glanced at Hermione but decided she didn't appear to be a threat and stepped aside to let them through. Hermione resisted looking back, knowing full well that a mere glimpse of her face would be enough to land her in a cell next to Bellatrix.

The rain poured down from the thick black clouds and the thunder continued to roar. Every so often a bright flash of lightening would cut across the darkened skies. The island was covered with puddles of dark, muddy water. Aurors sheltered under roofs of buildings, their ghostly faces lit up by the silver glow from their wands. A couple had started a small fire in what looked like a metal basket. For a moment the scene struck Hermione as if it had been taken from a dark alley back in London where the homeless desperately clung together, looking for shelter and warmth.

Andromeda led Hermione to one of the many black brick buildings scattered around the island. It was the smallest building on the whole site, home to five cells without windows. Bellatrix's life was spent in permanent darkness, twenty-three hours a day. For one hour the Aurors would open the small hatch in the wall, allowing in the smallest amount of daylight. The darkness alone was enough to drive anybody insane. The lack of human contact would soon rob a prisoner of their last bit of hope.

When they entered the building Andromeda lifted the Silencing Charm, expecting to hear her sister's screams but there was nothing but silence. The soft echo of her footsteps bounced off the walls as she walked further, guided by the glowing tip of her wand. She felt Hermione closely behind her. She stopped when she reached the cell furthest away from the door. She heard nothing.

Andromeda carefully placed her wand against the lock and listened as one after the other opened. Her heart pounded in her throat. With every lock opening she was another step closer to facing death. Once the final lock had opened she grabbed a firm hold of the door handle and turned it. The metal felt cold against her flesh and the door squeaked as she opened it.

The glow of her wand lit up the darkened cell and the light fell on Bellatrix sitting in the corner of the small room, her legs pulled up to her chest and her head resting back. Andromeda's eyes instinctively snapped up at the chain that secured Bellatrix arm and felt a sense of relief that she was still locked up. Bellatrix's eyes snapped open when she became aware of someone watching her and her lips curled up into a snarl when she recognised her sister.

"Come to gloat, have you?"

"No," Andromeda answered firmly. "I'm here to say goodbye."

She stepped aside to make room for Hermione and the brunette lowered her hood as she stepped into the cell. Bellatrix's eyes lit up and Hermione didn't hesitate. She dropped to her knees beside the raven haired witch and let her fingers ghost across Bellatrix's arms and face before leaning in to kiss hr. In the doorway Andromeda turned away, the pieces of her heart cutting through her soul.

"What are you doing here?" Bellatrix asked as she looked from Hermione to her sister. "Why are you here? What are you doing?"

"Something I should have done a very long time ago," Hermione answered sadly as she let one of Bellatrix's curls slide through her fingers. Her hair no longer felt soft. It felt dry and brittle. "You and I both know there is only one way out of this. Only one thing we can do…"

"You know that there's no way back," Bellatrix said sharply. "If you do this…"

"We've known this all along, Bellatrix," Hermione breathed. "If I had listened, Cissy would still be alive. None of this would have happened." She rested her forehead against Bellatrix's. "I should have seen it a long time ago but I chose to hang on to something I know I can't keep."

"Did she make you do this?" Bellatrix hissed. "Did my sister ask this of you?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, Bella. I am making myself do this." She sadly smiled. "I now know that we were destined to be together. The stars foretold our destinies a long time ago, long before I even knew. Our paths were destined to cross, one way or another, but I cannot live this way. I cannot live if this battle inside of me is not ended. For neither can live whilst the other survives."

"Good and evil," Bellatrix chuckled. "You actually believe that crap?"

"I have to."

"Do you remember what we were, what we did?" Bellatrix lisped, desire flickering in her charcoal eyes. "All the things we achieved, the world as we conquered it?"

"I'll always remember," Hermione promised. Her insides coiled as she felt Bellatrix's free hand creep up her arm. A familiar touch stirred intense desires inside of her. She knew that if destiny chose Bellatrix tonight she would see all those desires fulfilled for the remainder of her life. She pressed her lips against Bellatrix's again, whispering softly; "And if destiny wills it, we will remember it together."

Hermione's fingers caressed Bellatrix's arm and pulled back the sleeve of her dress, revealing the scar on her forearm. A perfect triangle, three lines bound for all eternity. She peeled back her own sleeve and showed her matching scar. Bellatrix's hungry gaze lingered on the reminder of their old lives. Hermione felt it too. The desire to free her lover from her chains and vanish into the night, leaving behind the choice of death, and running until they could run no more. But she knew it was futile for she could never run far enough to get away from the calling of her soul, the yearning to be completed by the one other person who knew her better than she knew herself.

"We're out of time," Andromeda said from the doorway. She had watched the goodbye between Hermione and Bellatrix with bitterness and envy. "If we are to do this, we have to do it now. Dawn will approach soon and if the storm dies down the Aurors will come looking for us."

Hermione nodded and took her wand from her sleeve. She placed the tip against Bellatrix's chain and muttered the spell under her breath. The metal severed, freeing the raven haired witch. Bellatrix immediately staggered to her feet and grabbed Hermione's arm. She slammed the brunette against the wall and the pain spread through Hermione's body. Bellatrix's face came close to hers and she could see Andromeda appear from the darkness, ready to come to her aid.

"Bella, let her go!" Andromeda demanded.

Bellatrix looked over her shoulder. "Why?"

"Because if you kill her, you will die too." Andromeda raised her wand until it was at a level with Bellatrix's chest. "I swear to God, I'll kill you."

Bellatrix stepped away from Hermione and let go of her. She looked from Hermione to Andromeda and back. The predatory look in her eyes lingered. The deranged and unhinged appearance Hermione had first seen in a picture in the Daily Prophet in her fifth year suddenly returned. "I guess if she has her choice, at least one of us lives, right?"

Andromeda swallowed hard. "You can look at it that way, yes."

Bellatrix chuckled as she walked up to her sister before cupping her cheek. Andromeda shivered and staggered back but found herself trapped between the wall and Bellatrix's body. Her older sister closed in on her before pressing hungry lips against Andromeda's hesitant ones. It was one last kiss that tasted of everything that was forbidden and twisted in this world. Half erotic half angry, laced with poison and deceit. A kiss of betrayal and distorted passion. A desperate attempt to remember what had once been whilst preparing to forever forget.

In that moment of unawareness both witches missed how Hermione's wand began to move, drawing a circle into the air. A single flame erupted from her wand and slowly it began to follow the circle she had drawn until a ring of fire appeared. Hermione stood in the doorway of the cell and watched how the two sisters let go of each other, turning in surprise. Their eyes flashed from the fire to Hermione and both realised that the choice was near. Hermione's arm trembled as she slashed her wand across the air, directing the ring towards Bellatrix and Andromeda. It grew bigger until it fitted around both their bodies, trapping them together. Although warm, the flames did not burn their skin. Tears streamed down Hermione's face and she grabbed a tighter hold of her wand. She gave one last flick and the narrow band of flames erupted into an intense fire, withdrawing both Andromeda and Bellatrix from her sight.

She turned around, leaving the door open, and started down the corridor before vanishing into the darkness.

"_Lig nochtann na lasracha mo cinniúint_," she whispered before looking up to the skies. The rain had stopped. "_Let the flames reveal my destiny_."


	16. Nevermore

**Chapter 16**

**Nevermore  
**

The waves reached the small Mevagissey harbour, crashing against the stone wall that separated land from water. The fishing boats danced across the water, their shapes cut out against the ghastly dark black backdrop of the night. The narrow streets of the fishing town were abandoned and the windows of the houses were dark. People slept as the storm lashed the Cornish coast. Rain unforgivingly battered on rooftops and washed down cobbled alleyways. The pubs overlooking the harbour were abandoned. Nobody was out here at this time of night in this weather. Only one lonely figure stood close to the water's edge, staring out over the waves.

This was the place where she had chosen to return and await destiny's fate. This was the place where she had attempted to change what could not be altered and save a life she knew she could not hold on to. Silent tears slid down Hermione's cheeks, mixing with the raindrops across her face. This was where she had come back to, waiting for what would eventually find her. By the time dawn broke she would know. She would finally see her true destiny in front of her. After tonight there was only one road left to take.

It had been a long journey down to this moment. A journey that had started the night she was born, when the stars aligned and foretold the future both bright and tainted. A signal so strong that Albus Dumbledore and Minerva McGonagall feared what she would become if they did not intervene. Magic became a part of her life long before she discovered she was a witch. From that night on nothing would ever be the same again. The choice Minerva made was to shape her life and eventually lead her to this moment.

It had brought her to Harry and Ron, all those years ago on the Hogwarts Express. Something had drawn her to their carriage. Back then it had seemed so simple; Neville's lost toad. Now she knew that it was more than that. They were supposed to meet and, despite their initial dislike for each other, they were meant to be friends. All along the way life brought them closer together, allowing them to conquer everything that came onto their paths. From mountain trolls in the toilets to giant snakes in the Chamber of Secrets and helping Sirius escape from the Tower. It had been their friendship that had helped Harry survive the Triwizard Cup and even the return of Voldemort could not break them apart. But it was there that everything changed. Their first encounter with Bellatrix. Looking back, Hermione knew that somewhere deep down inside her, something had stirred when she first laid eyes on Bellatrix. Their wands had recognised each other, even if they had not. Now she knew Narcissa had recognised her the year before during the Quidditch World Cup. Little bits of destiny slowly started to seep into her life until, after Dumbledore's death, there was no way out. Ron broke the seal when he attacked her and he released what Minerva had been so desperate to hide.

Her friends were dead because of her. All the friends she had made along the way had lost their lives because of her anger and her darkness. They fell victim to who she was born to be, what she was. They didn't know. They didn't know that her heart belonged on side and her soul on the other. In their eyes she became a monster, awakened when Bellatrix and Narcissa joined her side. She couldn't deny she felt more complete with the two sisters than she had done at any other moment in her life but now she knew why; it was because the darkness inside her had finally been allowed to live. But that moment changed her. It changed the way she felt, the way she thought, and it wasn't until Bellatrix asked her to lure Andromeda into her trap that the conflictions really began. Truth became lies and lies became truth. There no longer was just one answer to any question and slowly her insides were torn apart. Her friends died, one by one, as they became her enemies. The friendship that had once bonded them together had turned into hatred and they no longer recognised her. She would never be able to tell them what had happened. They would never get a chance to understand.

_The choice of destiny will never change how the world sees me, _Hermione thought as she looked up and out across the sea beyond the small harbour. It seemed to stretch endlessly, like there would never be anything to stop it. _I will forever be evil in their eyes and it doesn't matter what part finally __wins tonight, that will never change. They have seen what I was before and what I became. Even I don't know who I am anymore._

She stayed in the harbour until the first rays of sunshine started to appear over the horizon. The break of dawn slowly began to push away the clouds and the rain, revealing the first hints of clear blue skies. Somewhere in the distance she heard a car engine. Soon the streets would be full of people, both locals and tourists and Hermione turned away from the fishing boats. The storm had prevented the fishermen from going out. There would be no fresh catch today. She let her eyes dart around the village one last time before looking back at the washing sea water that almost took her life. From one of the alleyways an elderly man appeared. Her quiet loneliness here had come to an end.

Hermione walked until she reached a narrow space between a boarded up pub and a small souvenir shop that would open in the next hour. There she turned on the spot and left Mevagissey.

She reappeared in a small village on the other side of the country. It was still quiet. People were perhaps still asleep or stumbling about their early morning routine, pouring their first cup of tea and perhaps reading the morning paper. Godric's Hollow wasn't a very large village and everyone knew everybody else's business. A community formed largely out of wizards and witches it seemed everybody was comfortable being who they were. Hermione walked from the outskirt of the village across the square before turning left and eventually reached the narrow road that led to the old church. She took a deep breath before completing the last few metres and hesitated outside the iron wrought gate that surrounded it. She pushed against it and it opened, squeaking softly. Hermione entered the cemetery and allowed her eyes to dart around. It didn't take her long to find what she was looking for.

The marble headstone with ink black letters carved out stood proud amongst an array of flowers. Nobody had forgotten the person who lay buried here. All the flowers were fresh. It seemed that whoever came here wouldn't allow them to wither and die. The pebbled on the path snapped underneath her boots as she eventually reached the grave. Harry's name was etched in stone. Undeniable and everlasting.

Hermione pushed her hands into the pockets of her cloak and stared down at the flowers at her feet. "I bet I'm the last person you'd expect to see here," she said softly. "I don't think I expected to see myself here either but it seemed the right thing to, even after everything I've done. I know you can't hear me and there won't be any way for me to tell you what happened, I just wish there was some way I could tell you." Her eyes were drawn to the inscription on Harry's stone. _For neither can live whilst the other survives. _Those words had never been truer. "I'm sorry, Harry."

"I'm sorry for not knowing what was happening to me, for not understanding what it was that I became. I'm sorry for allowing you to get caught up in all of this. I just wanted to be…" Hermione's voice broke and she briskly brushed an unexpected tear from her cheek. "I just wanted to be who I am. I only just found out that I can never be one without the other unless I choose which one dies. Only then can I be free. I wish I had known it sooner, that there had been some way for me to have saved you all, but there wasn't. I was led by a part of me that truly belonged to Bellatrix and Narcissa. I truly loved them and I always will. But at the same time I belong here, with Andy. Only destiny can now choose for me and I can only wait to see which call is answered."

She drew her wand from her sleeve and held out her open palm. From the tip of her wand a golden Snitch erupted, it fine wings fluttering for a few seconds before it landed in her hand. Hermione smiled to herself as she placed the Snitch on top of all the flowers and watched how the sun reflected on its surface. A glimmer of hope.

She stood like this for a long time, with only her own thoughts for company. The longer she waited and the brighter the sun became, the more desperately she tried to recognise which side of her had survived yet she felt no different. The simmering anger in the pit of her stomach still lingered. The longing to finally be free had not yet faded. One feeling was not yet stronger than the other. Perhaps destiny had not yet chosen. Or perhaps she was just blind.

Hermione looked up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned, hope flickering in her eyes, only to feel it slip away when she looked up into the face of the elderly vicar. He had short grey hair that had once been black and soft, kind blue eyes. The lines across his face told a story of a man who had devoted his life to God. There was a hint of a melancholy smile across his face and sadness in his voice.

"A friend of yours?" he asked.

Hermione swallowed, struck by the compassionate way the vicar asked the question. Without judgment. He did not know her. "In another life, perhaps."

The vicar patted her on her shoulder and looked at Harry's grave. "Such a shame. A young life wasted."

"No, not wasted. Not really. And yes, he was my friend. I'm just not sure if I was ever his."

The vicar merely nodded and turned towards the gate through which Hermione had entered hours earlier. "It seems you have a friend of your own, my dear. They have been watching you for the past hour."

Hermione's head whipped around and she followed the vicar's gaze. A dark clad figure stood outside the kissing gates. The hood of their cloak obscured their face. In her chest her heart skipped a beat and without speaking she stepped away from the vicar and slowly walked across the cemetery. The rows of gravestones were a silent witness to her journey towards destiny, each step bringing her closer to what eventually would be her answer, her future.

She reached the dark clad figure but instead of stepping through the gates she remained on the other side of the fence, her eyes desperately searching the stranger's face. Slowly they looked up and Hermione recognised their eyes. She knew them as well as she knew her own. She knew how they reflected every emotion. There were no secrets here. Slowly the stranger reached up to lower their hood and revealed themselves. Soft sunlight reflected in their hair. Hermione felt her breath choke and she swallowed hard. Suddenly there were tears streaming down her face.

"She's not coming back, is she?"

Andromeda silently shook her head before opening her clenched fist. From her hand hung the torn and bloody locket, the one Hermione had seen the night Andromeda freed her from St Mungo's; the locket with three lifelines, each symbolizing the heart of one sister. It was the one thing that had bound them all together. Narcissa's line lost its blood and its life a long time ago but now another line had parted and the blood was gone. Bellatrix was dead_._

"It's over."

Hermione stepped through the gates and slowly allowed herself to be enveloped in Andromeda's arms. She rested her head against Andromeda's chest and heard the comforting beating of her heart.

Minutes passed as they stood like this and the sun climbed higher into the sky. Around them the village of Godrics Hollow came to life. People filled the streets, relieved that the storm from the previous night had finally passed. It wasn't until Hermione looked back at the cemetery that she noticed the golden Snitch whizzing softly around Harry's headstone. She didn't understand why but she couldn't help but smile.

Andromeda kissed Hermione on her head and took her hand into her own. "Come," she said with the hint of a smile. "Let's go home."

Hermione looked back at the cemetery one last time before turning to Andromeda. She nodded. "Yeah," she breathed. "Let's go home."

~()~

The Weasley cottage looked beautiful in the early morning sunshine. Andromeda and Hermione appeared at the top of the hill and walked down over the still wet grass until they reached the front door. It swung open before they could even knock and Molly appeared. She looked terrified, with red rings around her eyes. Her brown eyes lit up when she saw Andromeda and Hermione but it wasn't enough to erase the initial fear and worry from her face.

"Where have you been?!" she exclaimed. The thundering sound of footsteps behind her betrayed that more people were on their way and not even five seconds later Tonks appeared in the doorway and pushed Molly aside. She flung her arms around her mother's neck and heaved a sigh in relief.

"We were so worried," she whispered into Andromeda's curls. "One moment you were here, the next you were gone."

Andromeda glanced at Hermione. Now she understood why Andromeda had refused to say goodbye. If it had been her who died she didn't want her daughter knowing before it happened. But now they were here and they would have to tell them what happened.

"Nymphadora, I can't breathe," Andromeda said and her daughter let go of her. "Thank you."

"Where did you go?" Tonks wanted to know as she allowed Hermione and Andromeda to come inside. "What happened?"

"Long story," Andromeda said as she wrapped a protective arm around Hermione. The young brunette hadn't said a word since arriving home and she could tell from the hurt flashing behind her eyes that she was suffering. She turned to her daughter. "I promise I'll tell you but first… I think Hermione needs to have some time." Her eyes found Molly's. "Just a little bit of time, please?"

"Of course," Molly answered, "As much time as you need."

"Hermione!"

Karen Granger's voice was soft but Hermione looked up anyway. When she saw her mother she couldn't stop the tears from falling. She fled into her mother's arms and Karen held her like only a mother could hold a child. She kissed her daughter's hair and stroked her face, the same way she'd done when she was just a new born. She'd had hopes for her daughter, none of which had eventually materialised. She'd seen what being a witch meant, what it had done, and until now she'd never fully understood what it had been like. But now, for the first time in years, Karen recognised her child and it was the most glorious moment in the world.

After a little while Andromeda led Hermione up the stairs and into the room where they had slept. She closed the door behind her and when she turned she found Hermione staring at the bed where she had attacked Andromeda only the previous night. She placed her hand on Hermione's shoulder and gently kissed her just below her ear. She knew what Hermione was thinking.

"That's behind us now," she promised.

"I feel so empty."

The words rolled off her tongue so easily and although they described exactly how she felt, they couldn't describe just how empty she felt. It was as if something had been ripped out of her. A part of her was missing, like it had faded into the morning sunshine, and she was still desperately searching to find it again although she knew she never would. It was the darkness chased by light. The grip Bellatrix had on her heart was slowly slipping away and Hermione realised she was desperate to cling on to even the tiniest of feelings. Without it she was nothing. She was hollow, void.

"I know," Andromeda soothed as she sat down beside Hermione. "I know."

"What happened?" Hermione asked and she looked up at the older witch. "To Bellatrix, I mean. What happened?"

"The flames separated us after bringing us together," Andromeda said. "First we were in the ring of fire together, looking at each other. It was as if we could see the other's mind. I remembered who she used to be as a little girl. And then I saw you. You were watching us somehow, even though you weren't there. The flames ripped me and Bellatrix apart. Suddenly we were both trapped within our own fires." She swallowed hard and looked down at her hands. "I saw things…."

"What kind of things?"

"Things you did," Andromeda admitted. "I saw Ginny. I saw what happened to her. I saw what happened to Ron and to Minerva." Tears glistened in her eyes. "The Flames showed me all the things that you have done. I saw you with Bellatrix and Narcissa, together." The pain in her eyes hinted at exactly what she had seen them do. Hermione felt her stomach turn. Andromeda's voice was soft as she spoke again. "I heard Ginny as she begged for you to stop hurting her. I saw you in Italy, with that other girl and I saw how you killed Ollivander."

Hermione buried her head in her hands. She felt sickened. "Andy, I'm sorry…"

"It was the Flames' way of testing me, I think," Andromeda answered. "To see if I was strong enough to see what you had done when I wasn't there, when I couldn't see."

"And Bella? What did she see?" Hermione whispered.

"I don't know," Andromeda answered. "But if I saw things you did when you were with her or on the Dark Side…"

"She must have seen what I did on the Light side when I was with you."

Andromeda looked at Hermione. "I think the flames were meant to test us."

"No, they weren't," Hermione answered and stared down at her hands. She remembered the night she had stood surrounded by the Flames of Destiny like it was yesterday. She had seen what destiny had chosen for her although she had done everything she could to change it. "It wasn't the Flames that decided who lived and who died."

"Not the Flames?" Andromeda asked softly. "Then who did?"

"I did."

Hermione looked up at Andromeda. Tears glistened in her eyes as the loss of Bellatrix began to sink in more and more. "The night Brighid used the Flames, I saw something. Something that I didn't quite understand. Perhaps the same way Bellatrix didn't understand all of her memories at first. In a way it was almost like a dream but I knew… I knew there was only one choice and the Flames had shown me what path to follow." She swallowed hard. "I knew who had to die."

"Bellatrix," Andromeda sighed. "It was her all along, wasn't it?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes. But I couldn't just let her die."

Andromeda slipped an arm around Hermione's shoulders and pulled her closer. "You did everything you could but in the end it wasn't in your hands. Is that why you left when the Flames began to make their choice?"

"I don't think I could have stood by and watch either one of you die." Hermione's voice broke. "Where is she? What did you do with her body?"

"I buried her, somewhere far away from Falcon Island," Andromeda said softly. "It's a place we used to go when we were little. It's the only memory I have of Bella being happy. I'll take you to her if you want. Not today, but tomorrow. You can say goodbye." Tears welled up in her own eyes. "We can both say goodbye."

Hermione nodded and wiped the stray tears from her eyes. She pushed herself up from the bed and reached out a hand to Andromeda. "They're waiting for us," she said as Andromeda's fingers graced the inside of her palm. A familiar touch, so comforting and reassuring. They didn't speak again as they left the bedroom. Hermione closed the door and turned away. Behind her, her old life was burning. The flames were slowly dying, leaving behind ashes that would soon be blown away by the wind until there was nothing left but memories. Maybe it was better that way. She looked at Andromeda and noticed how she clung to the broken locket with the two empty lifelines and in her heart she knew that they would never truly be alone.

* * *

**Note:** I made my choice about who lived or died mainly on the question "with whom would Hermione have a better chance at a future". To have any form of life at all, the answer would have to be Andromeda. I think the only way I would have paired Hermione and Bellatrix together in the end was if I had killed both but I didn't want that. I want Hermione to have the opportunity to rediscover who she is and also be confronted by what she has done. If I had chosen to let her die she would never have to take responsibility for her actions and I wanted that element of that to be there. So I am sorry to disappoint so many of you. Generally, a Bellatrix/Hermione pairing in the end never ends well. I wanted to have a glimmer of hope left.


	17. Empty Chairs At Empty Tables

**Note**: This chapter was very much inspired by the song "Empty Chairs at Empty Tables" from the musical Les Miserables. Feel free to listen to it on YouTube. The lyrics and the emotion somehow grabbed me as I wrote this chapter and this is the result. The title was taken from that same song. My own personal favourite is the 1985 cast version.

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**Chapter 17**

**Empty Chairs At Empty Tables**

They spent the next three hours talking about what had happened, starting from the moment they had found out that the stars on the night of Hermione's birth were almost a perfect match to the ones on the eves of Bellatrix's and Narcissa's birth. From there Hermione carefully explained how Brighid had used the Flames of Destiny to show her where her destiny would lead her. Her eyes briefly flashed up to Tonks when she said that from that moment on she knew Bellatrix would be the one to die but she hoped to find a way to save both her and Andromeda.

"So that's why you threw yourself into the water," Tonks concluded and glanced at her mother. Andromeda's reasoning had proven to be right. Hermione had, by trying to kill herself, attempted to save both sisters so neither would have to die.

"I wish the others were here to hear this," Molly said after a long silence. There were red marks across her cheeks where her tears had burnt her skin. She'd cried for most of the story, slowly understanding what Hermione had gone through and how everything from the moment she was born eventually led back to this moment.

"It doesn't change anything," Hermione said with a hint of bitterness in her voice. "What I am doesn't excuse what I did. The fact that I was born with both Good and Evil inside me doesn't change how…" Her voice broke and her mind flashed back to the moment earlier that day when she had placed the golden Snitch on Harry's grave. Nothing could undo what had been done. There was nothing that could bring back her friends and she didn't want anybody's forgiveness because she didn't deserve it.

"Hermione…," Molly began but the brunette shook her head.

"If you forgive me then you must forgive Bellatrix and Narcissa," she deadpanned and Molly's face fell. Hermione knew she'd never be able to do that. "I do not deserve forgiveness. I just want you to understand. What I did changed everybody's lives. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that forgiving me will change that. It won't. Nothing will ever bring back Ron and Harry and all the others. They're dead because of me and that's something I will have to carry with me until the day I die."

Andromeda stood up. "Maybe there's something we can do."

She reached into the pocket of her robes and pulled out a small pouch. She flicked her wand and it grew larger until it eventually stopped growing. Andromeda reached inside and first pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. As she draped it over the table it vanished, drawing a soft gasp from the people looking on. When her eyes found Hermione's she noticed the brunette was the only one who wasn't surprised. Hermione had seen the Cloak many times before and, from what Andromeda had heard, she'd used a fair few times too. She reached back into the bag and took out the small black stone. She turned it just once in her hand and felt it glow warm.

Her eyes found Hermione's and she reached out her free hand, encouraging her to stand up. "I think you need to see this, my love."

Hermione walked over to Andromeda. "What is this?" she asked as she took the stone in her hand. When she looked more closely she recognised it. Her eyes swam with tears as she looked back up at Andromeda. "The Resurrection Stone."

"You knew I had the Hallows all along," Andromeda pointed out. "The Invisibility Cloak, the Resurrection Stone and the Elder Wand. You even told Bellatrix I had them but you never attempted to take them from me. Possessing the Hallows makes one the Master of Death." She paused, allowing Hermione time to think about what she was saying and the brunette slowly looked up. "But it also makes one the Master of Life."

"You mean…"

"Turn it thrice in hand," Andromeda said encouragingly, her eyes connecting with Hermione's. "And you will see."

Hermione closed her eyes. Her heart pounded in her throat and she turned the stone once then twice and eventually a third time. The warm glow spread through her fingers and her hand up her arm and suddenly she became aware of the feeling that someone was watching her. She slowly opened her eyes and her breath choked in the back of her throat. The living room was crowded. Familiar faces looked back at her. Faces from the past, belonging to those she had once called friends.

She covered her mouth with her hand. "My God."

There were soft whispers of surprise and tears streamed down Molly Weasley's face as she slowly looked around the living room. She got to see her children again. They were all there. Fred and Georg stood at the front with Ginny beside them. Even Ron was there, although he hid behind his brothers. Fleur, Neville and Luna completed the first group. They all smiled although there was sadness in their eyes. They wore the same clothes as on the day they had died. Their figures were ghostlike and pale but at the same time so human and perfect that Hermione wanted to reach out and touch them.

On the other side of the room stood Minerva McGonagall, flanked by Albus Dumbledore himself. Her hand rested on his arm. Neither of them looked any different. Death doesn't age people. Lupin and Kingsley and all the other members of the Order of the Phoenix who had lost their lives in the war were with them. The room was suddenly full of friends and family that, until this moment, had felt like a lifetime away. Now they were closer than ever and Hermione realised that tears were softly streaming down her face.

One figure broke away from the group and stepped into the room. The sound of his boots didn't echo and he walked straight through a chair but Harry was right there in front of her. His glasses still held together by cello tape and the scar on his forehead as prominent as ever. Behind his glasses his green eyes glistened and he reached out his hand. Hermione went to touch him but all she felt was air. She gasped, reminded that he was really dead.

"You know, the ancient Greeks believed that the dead can hear our thoughts," Harry said. His green eyes found Hermione's. "They were right."

"Harry, I…."

He shook his head and looked at Andromeda. "I've said this to somebody else not too long ago." She smiled and he smiled too before looking back at Hermione. "There's no need for apologies. We all knew what we did and we all knew the sacrifices we would have to make. No one blames you. We cannot help the way we were born. You couldn't change your destiny the same way I couldn't change mine. War takes lives. It destroys lives. But it also leaves behind hope."

Hermione swallowed hard. "I wish I could have saved you. All of you."

"We were angry for a long time, Hermione," said Minerva. Even as a ghost the Scottish lilt in her voice was unmistakable. "It takes a long time for hurt and betrayal to heal but when we realised and saw what was happening we realised how little choice you had. Harry's right. We really did hear your thoughts."

"Don't say those things," Hermione whispered. "What I did to each and every one of you was appalling. All your deaths caused by this!" She pulled back her sleeve and revealed the scar on her forearm. It was the silent reminder of where everything had changed. She looked back up, anger blazing in her eyes. Her grip on the stone in her hand tightened. "I do not deserve your forgiveness."

"Oh but you do," spoke Albus Dumbledore unexpectedly. "Especially because you do not want it."

Hermione's hazel eyes snapped in the former Headmaster's direction. "Why?" There was a hint of bitterness and rejection in her voice. "Why do I deserve it if I slaughtered each and every one of you?" She looked around the living room. "All you remember how you died. You remember the pain and the suffering in the moments before it. How can you forgive anyone for doing such a thing?"

"it lies in the fact that you do not want our forgiveness, Hermione," Dumbledore pointed out. "The fact that you are so angry at yourself for what you have done that you cannot allow anyone to look past that and see that what happened was something you couldn't always control."

"I made a choice to kill," Hermione hissed, a sudden echo of anger evident in her voice. But as she spoke she realised she missed the anger coiling in the pit of her stomach. Blazing eyes snapped up. "I could control that."

"You also could control going to my grave and leaving the Snitch," Harry interjected and Hermione spun around in surprise. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, bewildered that he knew what she had done. "We don't just hear you, Hermione. We see you too." He smiled and pointed at the Cloak that hid the coffee table. "Do you remember how many times we used that thing, mainly for things that would have landed us into trouble if anyone found out?"

She couldn't deny that he was right. The Invisibility Cloak did carry many memories from a life where things had seemed so much more innocent. Hermione grinned and glanced at Dumbledore. His blue eyes glistened behind his half-moon spectacles. "I think you're asking the wrong person, Harry."

"Plenty of times, if memory serves," Dumbledore answered. "I think what Harry's trying to say is remember the good times, Hermione. Only that way will you find some kind of peace after what happened."

"I lost the woman I loved," Hermione said unexpectedly, drawing a quiet gasp from a few people in the room. "As unbelievable as it sounds, I truly loved Bellatrix. I don't think that will ever change. I loved Narcissa too. It is possible to love beyond madness. If love is not madness then perhaps it is not love." She paused, wondering how she could best try to say what she wanted her old friends to know. "But it's not just Bellatrix and Narcissa I loved. I loved all of you too and now you're gone. I have to face myself in the mirror every day knowing that I did that."

"You'll see us in that mirror too," Minerva promised. "We'll always be there."

Hermione turned to Andromeda. The softness in her eyes that had appeared when she and Harry remembered the Cloak had faded and was replaced by a cold and hard distant glare. "This isn't right."

"What do you mean?"

"They ought to hate me for what I did, resent me for what I became. I had expected them to be disgusted and angry but here they are, saying they understand what I did. How can they if I don't even understand myself?" Hermione wiped an angry tear from her face and ran her fingers through her hair. Feeling the endless sets of eyes resting her eventually became too much and she opened her hand. The Resurrection Stone slipped through her fingers and landed on the rug with a soft thud. Almost instantly her friends disappeared into thin air. The room was quiet once again. They were gone.

Hermione stormed out of the living room and through the kitchen to the front door. She yanked it open and sprinted out into the early afternoon sunshine. For a moment she hesitated but then she turned and headed for the stables where the Weasleys kept their horses. When she entered she found the horse she took the night she ran away. The majestic animal turned its head to look at her and Hermione softly scratched it behind its ears. The horse neighed softly and pushed with its nose against her arm, clearly looking something to eat in her pockets. She held up her empty hands.

"Sorry mate, I haven't got anything," she said apologetically and continued to scratch the horse behind its ears.

A voice came from the stable door. "So this is where you ran off to."

Hermione turned away as Andromeda came closer. "I don't want to talk."

"I don't need you to talk." Andromeda reached Hermione and took her hand, forcing her to look up. "I need you to listen."

"To what?" Hermione bit back. "Another excuse why I should accept everyone's forgiveness? Have these people lost their minds, Andy? Have they forgotten what I am, what I have done? They should want to see me locked up in St Mungo's!"

"And plenty of them do," Andromeda answered. "You underestimate people, Hermione."

"Evidently." She swallowed. "I underestimated you."

Andromeda arched an eyebrow, not quite understanding what Hermione meant. "What do you mean?"

"I know you did all of this because you love me, because you truly believed that you could change what was happening. You were prepared to die for me," Hermione said. Tears glistened in her eyes. She stepped away from the horse and closer to Andromeda. "You lost everything because of me."

"But I still have you."

Hermione's eyes fluttered shut. Never before had anyone, not even Bellatrix, spoken to her the way Andromeda did. When she was little her mother used to tell her stories about princes and princesses and true love that would be everlasting. She thought that's just what they were; stories. Nobody could ever love somebody else so much that they would give up everything to save their lives. But now that she looked up at Andromeda and saw the true love reflecting in her eyes, she knew that she'd been wrong. Some of those stories were true and although it didn't involve a knight in shining armour or a princess trapped in a tower, it did involve two people who had beaten the odds and found their destiny.

She leaned in and gently pressed her lips against Andromeda's. The older woman's arms slipped around Hermione's waist as she pulled her closer as golden rays of sunshine fell into the stables through the open door. When they eventually parted, Hermione's hazel's eyes found Andromeda's amber ones. She smiled. She couldn't help it. She didn't know why or how but she smiled. She rested her forehead against Andromeda's and relaxed as she felt Andromeda's fingers run through her hair.

"It will take time," Andromeda whispered. "It will be a journey we take day by day and step by step. Maybe nothing will change in a few weeks or even months, but some day it will." Soft lips now pressed against Hermione's temple. "The nightmares will stop and the guilt will find a place. You don't have to deny it; you merely have to accept it. Only then can you really allow yourself to start again." Her hand lowered down across Hermione's chest until it covered her heart. "You've changed, inside and out, but the Hermione you once were is still in there. You don't have to become that Hermione again. All you have to do is let her out once in a while and you'll see that the old and the new will fit perfectly together."

"People would class me a as a serial killer, Andy. The type of serial killer who butchered all her friends," Hermione breathed. "I'm not sure I want that side of me to still be there."

"It will always be there," Andromeda said soothingly. "After all, the stars aligned in a way that made you destined to have both sides inside you. Even without Bellatrix, some of those shadows will linger on. It is just the connection that is gone." She reached for Hermione's arm and rolled back her sleeve, revealing the scar on her wrist. "Although it will never really be gone."

Hermione swallowed. "Can you take me to her?" She looked up. Andromeda could see the hurt behind her eyes. "I don't want to wait till tomorrow. Please?"

She merely nodded and offered Hermione her hand. She took it and the familiar feeling of Apparition took over. She noticed the scent of horses and hay began to fade and when she opened her eyes she was no longer standing in the Weasley barn but in the middle of the country side.

It was peaceful and quiet. There wasn't a soul in sight. The only thing she saw was an old, tall oak tree across the field. An old swing had been tied to one of its branches. The rope looked worn and the wooden seat had been tainted by the hands of time. Wild flowers grew in the field, forming an ocean of the brightest colours. She could hear the soft sound of a small river or creek running through the land but she couldn't see it. The skies were a crisp shade of blue and the sun burnt down onto her head.

"Where are we?" she asked breathlessly and turned to look at Andromeda. Her lover's gaze was fixed on the oak tree.

"Ireland," Andromeda said softly. "This is County Cork." A smile spread across her face. "We came here once when we were little. Bella was ten, I was eight. Narcissa was even younger. Mother and Father had found this cottage just outside the village over that hill and one day they took us here. It was rare for them to take us out for the day but Father… He was different somehow."

Andromeda walked across the grass field towards the tree and when she reached it she let her fingers run across the worn out rope. "Father built this swing for us. He only used magic for a small part. We all took it in turns to swing." She pushed the swing and it moved. For a moment she heard the echo of her own childhood laughter in her head. "The three of us played here all day. Bellatrix never stopped smiling."

Hermione turned to look at Andromeda. "You buried her here, didn't you?"

Andromeda quietly took Hermione's hand and led her around the tree. There, only a few steps away, was a freshly dug grave. A bunch of white lilies lay on top of it, resting slightly against the black marble headstone. Bellatrix's name had been carved into the stone with bright white letters. The inscription below her name reached straight into Hermione's heart._ Her soul, like a star, beacons from the abode where the eternal are._

Hermione tentatively walked towards the grave and dropped to her knees beside it. She let her fingers ghost across Bellatrix's name, familiarising herself with it one last time. The tears welled up in her eyes and they slowly dripped down from her eyes across her cheeks and eventually onto the soil at her feet. She hung her head as the weight of the past pressed down on her, the memories of Bellatrix and Narcissa, whose grave had yet to be found, played over and over in her head. They were forever together and at the same time eternally apart.

Her fingers tentatively touched the soil and dirt, caressed the petals on the flowers. The sudden emptiness in her chest whispered to her that this was really it; it was over. There were no more cores, no more missing pieces of a heart that could unite into one. There was only her heart left now. Only she could remember what they had once been, together. She swallowed hard as she let the sand run through her fingers before reaching into her pocket and taking out her wand. She flicked it and Andromeda, who stood behind her, looked on how a simple golden necklace appeared. It landed over the flowers she herself had left and she leaned in to have a closer look at the locket attached to it. It wasn't that dissimilar from the one she still carried in her pocket herself but there were no three lifelines filled with blood. Instead there was a triangle engraved into the cold. In the middle of the triangle sat a small diamond shaped heart. She smiled as she recognised the thought behind it. Diamonds were the hardest mineral in the world and it took a lot of force to break one.

Hermione repeated the same motion with her wand and an identical necklace appeared. Without speaking she hung it around her neck and briefly looked down at the locket before slipping it behind her clothes. Slowly she stood up and turned to Andromeda. The afternoon sun highlighted the tears on her cheeks.

"They'll never find her here, will they?" she asked.

Andromeda shook her head and gently wiped the tears from Hermione's face. "No. To anybody else who comes here this is just another field. Only you and I can see it for what it really is."

Hermione looked back at Bellatrix's grave one last time. "She'll always be here."

It was only as those words died out that Andromeda noticed that Hermione's hand now covered her heart and she knew what she meant. She didn't say anything but gently took Hermione's other hand into her own and closed her eyes. The soft wind pulled at their hair as they turned on the spot. They disappeared, leaving Bellatrix's grave graced by sunlight. All things came to an end and it did not matter how painful that end was, there would always be one. Eventually all things just found their place in this world and it was only once all the pieces had fallen into place that one could truly say that things were over.

They had fallen into place. The puzzle was complete.

It was over,


	18. Love Never Dies

**Author's note:** Well, I guess that's it. _The end._ It took me long enough to get here and, looking back on this whole thing, I must have been insane to start it in the first place. Thanks to all of you who have read this story, either silently or by letting me know through reviews and PM's. I've enjoyed talking to all of you, getting to know some of the people behind the names. This story has been my longest project ever and it's literally cost me blood, sweat and tears and probably a tantrum or two as well.

Thanks for reading, reviewing, favouriting, following or just silently watching this story unfold. A writer is nothing without an audience. Thank you all. x

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**Chapter 18**

**Love Never Dies**

Hermione stared out of the window of her London home. The Victorian townhouse looked out over a quiet suburban street where mainly Muggles lived. Throughout the day it was quiet. The only time you really saw people out on the streets was during the morning and evening commute when everybody was rushing their way down ti the nearest tube station to get into the City for work. She enjoyed watching them. It was strange how watching other people brought back a sense of normality to her life.

Normal. She would never have thought that her life would in any way go back to normal. Some would say it hadn't but to her it felt like it, or at least the closest thing to it.

It was late afternoon and the August sun was still high in the sky. The back door leading to the garden was wide open, allowing in the fresh air. It blew through the dining room, the kitchen and into the living room. The house was everything she could ever have dreamed off and some days, as she walked from room to room, she could barely believe that it was real. The sound of her own footsteps on the hard wooden floor still sounded unfamiliar even though she had been living here for almost a year.

A year. 365 days.

It seemed like a lifetime ago that Andromeda found her at the cemetery in Godric's Hollow, whispering softly into her ear that finally things had come to an end. The battle had finally come to an end. Every so often she would relive that moment, the moment where she looked up into Andromeda's eyes and found the answer to the question of which path destiny wanted her to follow. However, there were still plenty of times where she would turn around and see Andromeda walk into a room, only to see a flash of the other woman. She would still see Bellatrix when she looked at her. She'd see her in Andromeda's eyes or hear Narcissa in her voice. She knew that she'd never truly be without them. She'd never be alone.

The world had healed. Wounds had closed and now only scars were left behind. Over time they too would fade. Nothing in this world was left to remind anyone of what happened other than the crowded cells in Azkaban prison and Falcon Island. The cell where Bellatrix had been kept was destroyed the night the Flames of Destiny chose who survived. The Ministry had tried to rebuild it but somehow whatever magic they used was no match. No building would stand in its place. A silent reminder of what had happened there, the night Bellatrix Lestrange had died.

Up till this day people spoke of Bellatrix's miraculous escape. No one had managed before but now they spoke in quiet admiration as well as fear about what she had done. When the Ministry finally issued a statement that confirmed that she was dead but her body had been buried in an unknown location, Britain no longer held its breath in fear. Now it was over for them too. All that remained was what would happen to the sole surviving member of the Cores. The same sole surviving member of the Golden Trio; friend of Harry Potter and Ron Weasley and lover of Narcissa Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange. For a long time the Ministry did not know what to do with Hermione Granger.

She spoke openly in court about what had happened. Hours passed as she told members of the Wizengamot about the day she found out the true meaning of her wand, her life and the devotion that followed. She explained how a spell had been placed upon her that was broken the night she was attacked and she shared with them the paths she had travelled that led to the deaths of many. She never cried as she knew no tears could ever undo what had been done. She spoke for herself, in all honesty, and didn't avoid the parts that made her look like the monster she became.

To her surprise people had spoken in her defence. Not just Andromeda, who had been there all the way through, but also Nymphadora Tonks and even Molly Weasley. Their words more than anything convinced the Ministry not to send Hermione to Falcon Island or lock her up in St Mungo's. Instead she was told to live her life as a Muggle, without a wand, for the remainder of her life. If she were to ever obtain a wand and use it, she would be sent to Falcon Island. It was a sacrifice she would gladly make.

Her parents were glad to see her live without magic. They had never quite understood the life she led at Hogwarts and how magic had changed her but they got to see their little girl again. They visited every few weeks and had slowly come to terms with what had happened. Hermione had insisted it wasn't their fault but she knew that her mother would always feel responsible. Nothing she did would ever be able to change that.

What had changed was her relationship with Molly and Arthur Weasley. She still did not understand how they had found it in their hearts to forgive her but they had. She didn't see them often, mainly because her own guilt didn't allow her too, but when she did, there wasn't a hint of resentment there, Perhaps they, out of everyone, understood best what had happened and although Hermione blamed herself, Molly and Arthur blamed the circumstances.

Nymphadora on the other hand had needed more time to really accept that this was the way things were. She struggled to grasp her mother's ability to love the person who was responsible for the deaths of their friends and for several weeks she did not speak to either of them. Instead she'd focused on her job, working long hours and ignoring her mother's letters. But one night in March she'd suddenly turned up outside their door. Since them it seemed they had found a mutual balance. When Tonks was around nobody spoke about the war.

Hermione looked up when she recognised the sound of a key in the front door. A couple of minutes later Andromeda walked into the living room, dressed in a pair of black trousers and a short sleeved burgundy coloured shirt. Her brown hair fell wavy down her shoulders and she dropped her handbag in the arm chair nearest the window. Her eyes rested on Hermione.

"I thought you were supposed to be at work today?"

Work was a small bookshop in the middle of Camden. It was hidden in a small side street and quite popular. It was right across the street from Hermione's favourite coffee bar and a short tube ride back to home. She'd been working there for the past five months. Nobody in the Muggle world knew who she was. To them she was just Hermione; the one thing she had never really been.

"I took the day off," Hermione answered and let her eyes trail over Andromeda's frame. She'd gotten used to seeing her in Muggle clothing. She preferred it, actually. Andromeda had made a great effort to blend in to normal London life and although she had a job at the Ministry working alongside her daughter, she still chose to wear Muggle clothes instead of robes.

"I see," Andromeda smiled as she leant in and kissed Hermione's forehead. She then caught the brunette's gaze. "I know what day it is, Hermione."

She sadly smiled. Today was the anniversary of the night she had first crossed paths with Bellatrix. That night was what had started it all. It was what had led to her leaving with Bellatrix during Bill and Fleur's wedding. That night in Diagon Alley had changed her life. It felt like a lifetime ago and as she stood in her living room Hermione found it difficult to even remember that it had once been real. Most days it felt like a nightmare, one that would come back again and again and again.

"Have you made any progress finding the graves yet?" Hermione asked as she followed Andromeda into the kitchen.

Andromeda shook her head. "Nothing yet. Nymphadora thinks it may be wise to try and talk to some of the former Death Eaters who survived everything. Some of them may be able to tell us anything."

Hermione leant against the kitchen counter. The Ministry was trying to find the bodies of those who had been killed during the battles but who had not been found. She knew Molly hoped every day that Ron's body would be discovered. Hermione had given Andromeda every possible suggestion she could think of but so far they'd found nothing. The same went for Narcissa's body. Nobody knew what had happened to it and deep down Hermione suspected that there was a good chance that they would never know.

Andromeda gave Hermione a sideways glance. Every day she was surprised to see how well she had coped with the changes in her life. She seemed to enjoy the fact that she was no longer surrounded by magic. It was because of that happiness that Andromeda had decided to change the clothes she wore. She moved about the house without magic. Everything they did was done the Muggle way and she could see how the absence of magic had changed Hermione. It was as if magic carried a reminder of her old life. Now that she lived without it she seemed happier although she did often see the shadows in her eyes. She knew that not everything was truly gone. It never would be.

She and Hermione tried to make the best out of their lives. Their home in London was nice. They enjoyed every moment they spent together and Andromeda realised that as more time passed, she kept discovering sides to Hermione she'd never got to see before. The first time she came home to find Hermione curled up on the sofa with a book was a milestone. People had often told her that Hermione liked to read but until then she'd never seen her do it. They were small things that anybody else would have taken for granted. Andromeda had learnt to cherish them instead.

"Do you think about her sometimes?" Hermione asked unexpectedly.

Andromeda looked up. "About whom?"

"Bellatrix."

She put down the knife she'd pick up to cut her apple into pieces and stared down at her hands. "Yes I do," she confessed without looking at Hermione. "I think about her a lot."

"Do you miss her?"

Hermione's eyes were fixed on something on the wall.

Andromeda swallowed hard. "Yes," she answered and she realised with a shock that as she said it, she suddenly felt empty inside. "I do." Slowly she turned to she could look at Hermione. "Do you?"

"I miss her," Hermione whispered and her hand slowly crept across her chest to her heart. The steady heartbeat under her fingers was a sharp reminder of where she was in her life now as opposed to where she had been. Tears glistened in her eyes. "I miss them both."

"I'm afraid that pain will never really go away," Andromeda whispered into Hermione's ear as she slipped her arms around the younger witch's waist. "We just learn to live with it. It doesn't get any less; we just learn how to cope better." Soft lips caressed the back of Hermione's neck. "I loved them both very much and I know you loved them even more. Love never dies, Hermione._ Never_."

Hermione turned around, still in Andromeda's arms. Their lips found each other and she kissed her passionately. Sometimes the darker side of her would come out in moments like these. Andromeda had accepted that. She accepted that there were some things Hermione could not always control. Her feelings and emotions were one of them. When she didn't feel the brunette's fingers creep up along inside of her thigh she realised this wasn't one of those moments.

When they parted Hermione looked up into Andromeda's eyes. She always got lost in them, even after all this time. Sometimes she'd look at her and remember the moment that had brought them here. The middle of a war and they were trapped inside Hogwarts. A promise she'd made to Bellatrix to deceive her sister had resulted in her finding the one thing she'd always craved the most; love.

"I love you," Hermione murmured against Andromeda's lips before slipping out of the embrace and walking through the kitchen back into the living room. She felt her lover's eyes in her back.

She picked up the silver photo frame that stood on the fireplace. She'd looked at it more times than she could remember but the first time she'd seen it still lay fresh in her memory. Andromeda's cottage, the night she and the others had spent there as the men enjoyed their drinks before the wedding. She'd crept into the living room to get away from the noise and Andromeda found her there. The more she thought about it, the more she realised that even back then, in that moment, there had been something between them. Looking back it was when their hands had touched. Some things couldn't be denied.

Hermione looked down at the picture. The three almost identical looking sisters sat in the grass and looked up at the camera. Their smiles were genuine and Hermione's fingers softly caressed the glass, drawing figures across Bellatrix's and Narcissa's face. She missed their smiles. She missed everything they had once been to her.

"There is no shame in it, you know," Andromeda whispered behind her and Hermione looked up. Her hand cupped the brunette's cheek and she smiled. "To admit that you still see them when you look at me."

"Isn't there?" Hermione whispered, looking back at the photo.

"No," Andromeda reassured her. "Because I see them every time I look into the mirror too."

Hermione sadly smiled and put the picture frame back on the mantel piece. Her eyes drifted around the living room. Decorated with earth tones as well as cream and white, the house had truly become a home. She could imagine herself growing old between these walls, with the memories of the past fading further and deeper into the darkness.

"Are you happy?"

Andromeda's question came as a surprise and Hermione turned around. When she saw her lover's face she knew that Andromeda really wanted to know the answer. She'd been keeping that question quiet for far too long and Hermione realised that maybe, just maybe, she hadn't shown or told Andromeda enough about how she felt. That would change.

"Yes," she answered as she closed the distance between them and rested her head against Andromeda's chest. She could her hear her heart beat, felt it against her skin. "Yes, I'm happy."

It was the truth.

* * *

**End.**


End file.
